Rise above the failure

Failure is the stepping stone to success. Someone wise once coined this maxim that speaks to the resilient nature of every human. One will face many challenges and setbacks, but it is important to not be dejected. In a continuation of its September 2019 campaign, HDFC Life calls on people to learn from their experiences and #BounceBack. “The theme is a great fit with life insurance, as it helps families bounce back in case of any eventualities,” points out Pankaj Gupta, senior executive vice president (sales) & chief marketing officer, HDFC Life.

When working on the brief, the creative team at the agency realised that, as a society, we glorify success and never talk about failure. Rajdeepak Das, MD-India and chief creative officer, Leo Burnett South Asia explains, “We wanted to reiterate that while it is important to secure loved ones financially, it is also equally important to teach them how to survive and ‘bounce back’ from failures.”

Accordingly, the film shows a father and daughter travelling in the car. The girl is visibly disturbed and keeps fiddling with her Rubik’s cube while wondering how to tell her father that her exams didn’t go well. Sensing her mood, the father feels guilty for letting her believe that adults are infallible. Determined to set things right, he halts the car, rolls down the windows and shows her the site where he had started his first company. He adds, “Even after working hard for two years, I had to shut it down.” As realisation strikes, the young girl nods her head, and says, “But that didn’t stop you.”

The frame then cuts to the tagline of the campaign — #BounceBack. Usage of rain as a trope to depict a gloomy mood is a tried-and-tested formula, but works well in the context of the ad film. Overall, the two-minute film manages to hold the viewer’s interest and effectively communicates the intended message.