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In the world of tech product advertising, where cold functionality often reigns supreme, Mumbai-based independent creative agency Manja has crafted a narrative that transforms a mundane water purifier commercial into an unexpected romantic comedy.
With a runtime of one minute 40 seconds, the agency's latest ad film for Urban Company's Native RO is more about a blossoming love story that is hindered by a functional water purifier. The resulting ad tells the story of a maintenance technician whose frequent visits to service an old water purifier have turned into a potential romantic connection with the household's domestic worker.
Urban Company's Native RO, with its two-year service-free design, becomes the narrative disruptor that terminates this budding relationship.
It isn't very often we see an ad for a tech product where the plot of the commercial is driven by two lovebirds, and the product itself is the antagonist. And as per the agency, the brief from Urban Company wasn't far off from the standard product-centred theme expected of the category. But Manja had some other ideas.
"The brief was sharp, functional, and product-focused," Prajato Guha Thakurta, who is the founder and CCO of Manja, explains in detail. "Our challenge was to take this technically precise brief and make it genuinely interesting for the viewer. We weren't just selling a water purifier; we were telling a human story."
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Suyash Barve, the head of creative, elaborates on their creative breakthrough: "We realised that behind this technological innovation—a water purifier that doesn't require servicing for two years—there's an inherent consumer pain point. Constant service calls, follow-ups, and annual maintenance contracts—these are real frustrations for people. So we thought, why not make the human experience the hero of our story?"
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The agency's radical approach was to transform the product from hero to villain. "We could have done the conventional thing of making the product the hero," Barve continues.
"But we saw a human story emerging. What if we shifted the entire focus to the people affected by this technology? What if we made the technician the protagonist and the product the obstacle in his narrative?"
Urban Company's response was surprisingly supportive. "Even when we had internal doubts about whether the approach was too unconventional, the client encouraged us," Thakurta recalls. "They said, 'This is the best way to communicate our message. Don't worry, just make it the most beautifully crafted piece ever.'"
The production was a labour of love. "We started in early December, locking the script and the production team," Thakurta explains. "We spent December and early January crafting and rewriting, having multiple meetings with the director. The casting was crucial because the film is entirely carried by these two characters."
Speaking of characters, interestingly, the target audience—urban couples aged 28-45 living in tech-enabled homes—are largely absent from the ad, even though their representational home forms the backdrop of the narrative. Except on the occasions when repair guy contacts the homeowners, the people that the product is actually targeted at are not even in the frame. And that is deliberate.
"They're barely in the frame," Thakurta notes, "but everyone knows whose story this is. What it did beautifully is that, while they aren't there, everything happens in their world, in their house, in their kitchen. And that somehow becomes everyone's story".
Strategically, the ad was designed specifically for digital platforms. "We always intended this as a mini-film for YouTube and Instagram Reels," says Barve.
"We even shot with a vertical edit in mind from day one, knowing this type of content would work on these platforms."
The agency made it a point to not dilute the main ad film with smaller cuts and instead opted for separate 22-second performance edits to supplement this key asset.
What else is up with Manja?
As an independent agency, Manja is relishing its creative freedom. "Clients don't come to us for safe, conventional stuff," Thakurta says. "They want work that makes people sit up and take notice. We're here to break the mould, to sell products in a way that's absolutely captivating." This was Thaukrta's response to a question about if the agency is seeing a spike in clients for the IPL. And if so, the kind of work brands are currently looking for ahead of the cricketing frenzy.
Barve adds, "We're in a blessed space right now. We're small but agile, with clients who want to work with us precisely because of the kind of unconventional work we do. It's a golden patch, and we're enjoying every moment."