Shreyas Kulkarni
Advertising

Flipkart’s new campaign dangles the carrot of ‘speedy delivery’ and turns Alia Bhatt into a superhero

It is a healthy break from repetitive e-comm ads, where the influence of quick commerce is quite visible.

In the new Flipkart three-ad-campaign multiverse, priorities seem to matter more than personal safety. You laugh; imagine emerging relatively unscathed from a road accident, only to see your smartphone in near pieces. Who cares about being alive when you now own a comatose smartphone. Well…

Imagine an ad telling the viewers that they can now find the best smartphones on Flipkart, and doling out a feature or two as bait while at it. Where Flipkart stands out from other online marketplaces, is in its treatment of its three spots.

A brainchild of McCann Worldgroup India, brand ambassador Alia Bhatt dons a superhero costume to save the day in each of the three spots. This break from monotonous ads of online marketplaces, with non-stop voice-overs, is nothing but welcome.

When quizzed about it, Sambit Mohanty, head of creative, South, McCann Worldgroup India, says that the Flipkart team, led by VP, marketing, Dushyanth Jayanty, pushed them out of their comfort zone. And, they delivered.

“Initially, we had the option of using Alia as a regular celeb endorser. But then, our quirky, fun brand tonality, combined with some unique product offerings, led us to the idea of her as ‘FlipGirl’. A superhero who dashes to your rescue in more ways than one, with Flipkart,” Mohanty reveals.

Prasoon Joshi, Chairman APAC, CEO and CCO, McCann Worldgroup India, adds, "Flipkart has always struck a chord with audiences with its communication, and we really value this partnership. With its innovative approach, this campaign will add a new dimension to the relationship between the brand and the audience."

Bhatt began endorsing Flipkart with actor and now husband Ranbir Kapoor, in 2019. The latest ads were shot post her marriage to Kapoor in May 2022. The pair’s ads have mostly focussed on the e-comm giant’s fashion offerings. The company is touted as India Ka Fashion Capital.

Bhatt as FlipGirl may have saved the day thrice and when the survivors rue their lost goods, she, like a benevolent saviour, soothes them with two claims:

1. You get to choose from the top brands on Flipkart

2. One-hour delivery for phones and beauty brands, and one day for televisions

It is the latter which caught our eyes and ears, because using the carrot of speedy delivery has always been the hallmark of quick commerce brands.

The likes of Amazon have spoken and advertised on similar lines, but for its grocery offering.

In a June 2022 Business Standard article, Smrithi Ravichandran, VP, head of grocery at Flipkart, said as per studies, customers are fine with that delivery time period, instead of 15 minutes, as long as the quality of the product is not impacted.

“Our bets on whether the delivery period should be 90 minutes or 10 minutes or somewhere between, and how much should be fresh versus dried food and getting the right mix of it, is something we are working on. This includes ensuring better utilisation of dark stores and supply chain,” said Ravichandran.

But to see mainstream online marketplaces focus on delivery speed, is interesting.

How will Flipkart fulfil these orders in time? Will it use dark stores or tie-ups with retailers? Where will the speedy delivery first ply?

In the campaign’s press release, Hemant Badri, senior VP & head of supply chain, Flipkart, said, “Flipkart’s robust supply chain is established across the country, where products are received from the seller, and then packed and delivered safely to the customers.”

“As the festive season kicks in, customers across the country are looking for a companion who can help them answer their need for fast delivery, without compromising on product quality and selection. Our robust tech-enabled supply chain will ensure one-hour delivery to same-day delivery across pin codes, and the FlipGirl concept communicates that to millions of customers across the country.”

Talking about the new positioning, Jayanty mentions, “Since its inception, Flipkart has promised and delivered a great selection at fantastic value delivered at speed. And, this has only got stronger. This is what we wanted to remind shoppers of - they can count on Flipkart to save their day.”

“FlipGirl embodies this for us, and Alia’s fantastic skills have brought that to life. So, next time, users don’t have to compromise on selection or speed to get fantastic value - they can listen to FlipGirl and just shop on Flipkart!”

Credit list for the campaign:

Creative Agency: McCann Worldgroup

Chairman APAC, CEO & Chief Creative Officer McCann Worldgroup India: Prasoon Joshi

Chief Strategy & Chief Operating Officer McCann Worldgroup India: Jitender Dabas

Executive Director & Head of Creative: Ashish Chakravarty

Executive Vice President, McCann South: Dileep Ashoka

Head of Creative, South: Sambit Mohanty

Creative Team: Sambit Mohanty, Ketan Deshpande, Souvik Banerjee, P Hariprasad,

Planning Team: Anirban Roy, Savyasachi Hebbar

Account Management Team: P N Keshav, Rakshendra Rai, Kanika Agarwal

Films: Karan Prabhakar

Have news to share? Write to us atnewsteam@afaqs.com