Offline Commitments

Whether we are travelling, dining or holidaying, technology has made it possible for us to continue our work uninterrupted. All we need is a laptop and an internet connection. The line between work ending and life beginning has also thinned. However, being constantly ‘connected’ to work has eaten into the time we spend with our loved ones, offline. To highlight this impact in a heart-warming style, cookie brand Oreo has released a campaign called ‘Disconnect to Connect’.

“With this campaign, we are trying to encourage our consumers to strike a chord of playfulness with their loved ones by snoozing away from the automated world,” says Sudhanshu Nagpal, associate director – marketing (biscuits), Mondelez India, adding that in order to connect with people, it's important to give them utmost time and attention.

This isn’t the first time that the brand is leveraging the power of human relationships. One might recall the sweet brother-sister tiff and the series of Oreo Orange Crème ads featuring Ranbir Kapoor or the ‘twist, lick, dunk’ communication that has become an Oreo tagline for its consumers. The new campaign is created on similar lines, depicting a father-daughter relationship. “What’s different is the depiction of today’s reality – taking work home, and not really being present in the NOW,” says Robby Mathew, chief creative officer, FCB Interface. In the ad, the daughter asks her father to join her during her playtime. However, he declines, saying that he is busy checking emails. In a bid to catch his attention, the kid drops in a physical letter with the word ‘Email’ written in block letters in front of his laptop. The father picks it up and smiles when he sees a Oreo attached inside the letter. This prompts him to take time off his work and spend a few moments with his daughter.

Minimal dialogue accompanied by a peppy background score balance the narrative of the ad. Meanwhile, the light-hearted approach is a hat tip to Oreo's global brand proposition titled 'Stay Playful'.