A 'kwik' fix

If there was a Jodi No. 1 award for the client-agency category in the advertising world, like in films, the winner would most likely be Ogilvy and Pidilite. Together, the duo has created several successful campaigns for Pidilite’s flagship brands. Remember Fevicol’s iconic ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha', or the Fevikwik ad, where a fisherman catches fish by dropping the adhesive on a fishing stick? There are several such examples over the years, including the recent 90-second sofa-commercial to celebrate 60 years of Fevicol, that has won the hearts of millions. And close on its heels, the company has released a campaign for Fevikwik, called ‘Phenko nahi, jodo’. 

As the name suggests, the campaign – comprising two ad films – aims to encourage people to repair broken things if possible, instead of discarding. “The entire country is moving towards a 'use and throw' culture. This idea of asking people to repair more stemmed from marrying the logic of smartness and value, with the magic of stellar storytelling,” says Vivek Verma, senior VP, Ogilvy.

In the first film, a girl is flaunting her new phone to her mother, who is waiting for the kabaadiwali or scrap dealer. The bell rings and the girl opens the door to a surprise. The kabaadiwali is an old lady wearing the girl's stylish sunglasses, earrings, bag and sandals! The mother nonchalantly tells her that since she threw them away when they broke, they now belong to the kabaadiwali, who simply joined the pieces back. The girl, still in shock, accidentally drops her phone and exclaims, "Oh, no!" while the lady goes, "Oh, yes!"

The second film has a similar premise. Titled ‘Gappuji’, it shows a house-help repairing and using discarded sunglasses, shoes and belt. In the process, he not only looks stylish, but also ends up getting chosen by a girl and her family, who mistake him as the son (and the prospective groom) of the family he works for!

The ads with simple and funny plots have struck a chord with the audience, evident in the social media buzz around the campaign. Vivek Sharma, CMO, Pidilite Industries, says that the quirky humour is tickling people's funny bone while also sending across an important message. "The old lady's ‘Oh, yes’ moment is just lovable, and one wants to see it again and again,” he says with a grin.