Learning from Great Creatives 1: Fevi Kwik – Chutki Mein Chipkaye

The Fevi Kwik Chutki Mein Chipkaye ad - created history. It was at once the most loved ad and the one which went onto create a great brand. It also created a "template" for a series of ads which followed it.

I am sure there would almost be no one who is a student of marketing & advertising or who calls herself a marketer / advertising professional who would not know this ad.

I believe that great ads offer great lessons - and there are a few key lessons that this ad teaches us.

For those who would like to take another look at the ad, here is the link :

The role of any creative is to show case the brand in such a way that the consumer falls in love with the brand. While this does not happen overnight, every time the brand speaks to the consumer, it should ensure that it moves the "pitch" forward - so that the consumer can "see" the brand in the best way possible.

What does this ad do for Fevi Kwik here?

It show cases the "benefit" in the most dramatic fashion possible. "Dramatizing the benefit" is something done by a lot of ads. When you bring humor into the equation, you can stretch the drama and make it hugely enjoyable.

And, that is exactly what this ad has done. It took the benefit "joins anything very quickly" and brought it out in the most enjoyable manner possible.

As the story in the advertising circles go, the original story as conceived by Piyush Pandey was supposedly that a man comes to a lake, adds drops of Fevi Kwik to a stick, dips it?into the water and catches fish as they get stuck onto the "Fevi Kwik stick"

However, the ad - as done by Prasoon Pandey, ensured that the above story was executed with a lot of drama : it juxtaposed a man who is there - a professional, "English" looking man, fishing with all the expensive equipment.

In the opening frame of the ad, we see that - this man has been sitting there for a long time but has not caught any fish.?

Next we see a South Indian villager entering, who is clad in a dhoti and having just a stick and Fevi Kwik. He is singing and enjoying himself. Annoyed, the "professional" tells the villager to keep quiet

The villager, undeterred, puts a few drops of Fevi Kwik on the stick, counting in Tamil / Kannada.

The "professional" looks at all this with a stunned look - "what the hell is he doing?"

The Villager dips the stick - now with the power of Fevi Kwik - into the water.

In no time, the Villager jumps with joy as the fish are "caught" on the stick!

The Professional - still has not caught any...

The villager goes out singing!! Great work done by Fevi Kwik!

So, what are the lessons from the storyline? What are the lessons from the execution?

The lesson from the "storyline" is very simple : DRAMATIZE THE PRODUCT BENEFIT.

It is said that Piyush Pandey, checked the power of the product by putting a coin into a glass of water, applied Fevi Kwik to a toothpick and picked up the coin using that toothpick from inside the glass. So, the product works and the only question is how to dramatize it.

The lessons from the execution are several:

1) Just don't show the benefit in a dramatic way. Show that in a way which makes you enjoy the story. So, instead of just showing a man who is able to catch fish which are stuck to the stick with Fevi Kwik, the ad created drama in which the villager catches fish in no time and with nothing other than a stick and Fevi Kwik. And, this - as compared to the other man with all the professional gear. That set up amplified the dramatization of the benefit. When you see the two people in the ad, there is contrast in everything : the equipment they carry, the dress they wear, the shoes that the professional wears vs the bare feet of the villager. So, the set up created a story where somebody with almost nothing but Fevi Kwik, is able to beat the other man who seemingly had everything!

2) There were little little touches which ensured that the viewers don't forget the brand in the midst of enjoying the story. This "missing the brand even when viewer like the ad" happens a lot. There have been many examples of an ad where the viewers love the story and execution but just cannot recall the brand name. So, it is important to ensure that the brand is there as integral part of it.

The question is : How to do it?

a) The ad obviously shows the product which made this feat of catching fishes - at the end of the story. If you see the product shot, it shows the pack which show cases the brand name and the price.

b) But, while the pack shot comes at the very end of the commercial, there are deft touches which ensure that you will remember the brand - at least in a subliminal way: a) the very first intro shot of the "Professional" - is set in the brand colors : the professional is dressed in blue, the sky and the lake is blue, while all around him are the orange peels that he has obviously eaten while waiting - which give the yellow contrast - showing the brand colors. b) the product application shot is unmistakable. It showcases, with the villager "counting" the drops in the local language - and counts upto five - so that the viewer knows that one can use this product very sparingly c) The "chutki mein chipkaye" happens as the fish stick to the glue in no time and the villager is out of there jumping with joy even as the "professional" is still waiting to catch fish! d) the shot where the villager catches the fishes - also shows the villager keeping the product on his ear - much like carpenters, painters and tailors carry the pencil that they use on their ear so that their hands are free.

In all, an execution which is absolutely detailed, which thought thru all the key things to be showcased in the ad without disturbing the storyline!