Skoda Rapid TSI resolves the mileage versus power conundrum in new ad

Duality is everywhere. Ying and Yang, head and tail, left and right, Shah Rukh ya Salman... You get what we're saying. It's also inside us, and that's why many times, we are unable to decide what we want. Imagine a supermarket scene where you're confused between two flavours of chips.

The same difficulty is observed when it comes to buying cars. On one side is India's timeless love of mileage, while on the other, there are those looking for power and spectacular driving performance. Where does one go?

Skoda Rapid TSI, as per its new ad by Publicis India, is placing itself as the answer to this question. Choosing the 'dual personality' route, it touts that it can satisfy both sides: mileage and power.

Commenting on the launch of the ad campaign, Tarun Jha of Škoda Auto India, said: “We have consciously decided to keep the customer benefit at the forefront of the campaign. Over the years, Škoda Rapid has already established its credentials in terms of design, safety, ride and handling. With a new TSI engine, it becomes an even more compelling proposition, as it offers the customers excellent fuel efficiency, coupled with a brilliant performance. Thus, the campaign beautifully captures the spirit of this 'no-compromise' car.”

Sanju Menon, COO, Publicis Ambience & Publicis Beehive, said there's always a conflict when it comes to buying entry-level auto products, and that the strong narrative of mileage in India was driven by the likes of Maruti and Tata.

Menon added that the new consumers want a good driving experience, and that's where the conflict sets in. Entry-level models have to deliver on both these aspects and it divides the customers; some move to the GT variant, while the others choose to the petrol/diesel variants. The Skoda Rapid TSI, he says, offers great power and performance, keeping fuel economy in mind.

The ad, we felt, was odd because it didn't mention anything about the Coronavirus pandemic. Menon cleared the air when he revealed the conceptualisation of the commercial and the creative idea was ready way before the pandemic. The shoot was to happen in April, but then the pandemic happened. "The pandemic had nothing to do with the creative output," he emphasised.

Please note that Skoda launched the new Skoda Rapid TSI, Superb and Karoq online back in May.

The route ahead

With the Indian Premier Leaue (IPL) and the festival season approaching, we asked Menon if brands will take the 'buy me' route. He said that people are looking at these events as a signifier of change, and brands will want to bring optimism and ride on it. The mood will become cheerful and brands will talk about them, but they won't negate the recent cataclysmic event. However, the conversation will be around optimism and the future.

TEAM CREDITS:

MD- Srija Chatterjee

COO- Sanju Menon

ECD - Rajshekar Patil

Creative Team - Neh Rathi, Amit Malik, Siddhesh Parelkar, Ajay Jadhao, Shilpa

Potekar, Saloni Jain, Vinayak Shinde, Sangram Jadhav

Account Management Team - Sirish Suveer, Saptarshi Banik, Ashok Vaghela,

Shubham Kumar, Udisha Mishra, Shivam Pandey

Production House- Prodigious

Director - Shaunit Motwani