Philips' ode to the language of hair

The language of hair is peerless. Just a swish (of it) is enough to send your message across, better than words can ever imagine. It's true that hair care and styling have suffered during the COVID-induced lockdowns. But it (hair) certainly hasn't lost its potency when it comes to expressing your deepest thoughts.

To let your hair do the talking comes naturally and it's something you should always remain mindful of, says Philips in a new ad.

"Kuchh cheezein lafzon mein kehne se chhoti pad jaati hai. Wohi baat ungliyon aur zulfon mein kahi jaaye toh aur pyaari lagne lagti hain...," says a voice-over at the start of the ad.

The 60-second black and white ad is replete with instances where we see the hair make the point clearer, and words aren't needed at all. From playing with your hair to it twirling when you turn around, the more you watch this ad, the better you understand the power of the hair's language.

Ritu Sharda, chief creative officer, Ogilvy North, says, “In 2020, we all find ourselves locked in and, therefore, don't feel the need to really bother about our hair. With the Philips Haircare Range campaign, we wanted to reignite the love of hair and the need for us to care about it. We had to give ourselves a reason to look at hair, not just as hair, but as an extension of our myriad moods and expressions.“

“A twirl of the hair says I'm in love. A sudden flick says I'm angry. When we tie it up, we mean business. When we let it loose, we feel free. Our hair speaks a beautiful language, it expresses our thoughts, wishes, and state of mind. So, take care of it ‘kyunki baal bolte hain’.”

Gulbahar Taurani, vice president, Philips personal health, Indian Subcontinent, says, “Over the years, Philips has put its consumers’ needs first and has introduced innovative solutions that has aided in activation of the magic of beauty. This insight also becomes the genesis for our campaign that resonates with women and their needs to express themselves. This campaign puts into focus the importance of how simple act of hairstyling and haircare enable their hair to do the talking with its unique and beautiful silent language.”

But, there's something else that caught our eye. This ad reminds us of an ad from Marico's Parachute Advansed. Released in March, the ad illustrates the deep connect a woman has with her hair... Read this line, "Yeh joh toot ke gira hai, yeh zameen pe mera dil pada hai. Inhe baal mat kehna."

Both the ads express the strong bond women have with their hair, and the final results touch the same wavelengths. Yes, the look and feel are different. Philips has given its ad a black and white treatment, unlike Marico. However, listen to the copy and the music, and you can feel they're more or less same.

Interestingly, Ogilvy made the ad for Philips, while Team WPP was behind the Parachute Advansed ad. Both agencies come under the same holding company, WPP.