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By Ramnik Chhabra 28-Dec-2009 | 12:54

Saw 3 Idiots last week. And marvelled at the way Raju Hirani has been able to string together a series of hits. Cinema that is not only meaningful; but also connects with the masses. Pretty much like big advertising ideas.

Which got me thinking- what is Raju Hirani`s advertising idea? Just as advertising ideas have different executions based on a common theme; so do Raju Hirani`s films.

Any ad idea has 3 strong foundations; so do Raju Hirani`s films:

  1. Essentially like any ad idea his films too are based on a strong insight.Pepsi in the early 90s had hundreds of executions ; all of which were based on one insight - everyone wants to feel young.. Similarly Raju Hirani`s films are also based on a powerful insight-people are looking to be inspired. That`s what his quasi-social messages do - be it having a `human approach to humans`,non-violence and the virtues of honesty or the latest `knowledge is about learning`.
  2. Next is a strong brand personality. Any brand with a strong advertising idea has a distinct personality. This becomes the signature of the brand. While the brand name of Hutch has changed to Vodafone; across different executions you see a distinct(almost signature) personality . Fevicol is another example. Similarly Mr Hirani embellishes his films with a unique personality - a kind of everyday humour that is funny; yet believable.
  3. And thirdly; most advertising ideas have a catchy executional phrase/concept that creates buzz for the brand. A kind of shorthand for what people think it stands for. So Pepsi had `Ye Dil Maange More`, Hutch - the Doggy or Zoo Zoos and Nike `Just Do It`. The executional phrase/concept may change from execution to execution but its role (to make the core ad idea come alive) remains unchanged . Which is what Raju Hirani does in all his films - be it `Jadoo ki Jhappi`, `Gandhigiri` or ` All is bhell`!

So there you have it. The Raju Hirani ad idea de-constructed. An idea that works across subjects, classes, heroes and market conditions.


Wonder which brand is going to snap him up first to write(and direct) their next ad campaign?

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