We are now at that point in
India’s story when the generation born in the 80s – early 90s have come of age
and are working. These are the individuals who were either (1) very young
during liberalization or (2) were born after it. These are also the individuals
that were exposed to alternate media, growing up (in addition to the staid, old
Doordarshan that had been the sole staple of their parents’ lives).
As a result of the
aforementioned liberalization – both economic and pop-cultural - the lifestyle
of the average urban Indian has changed tremendously compared to even their parents’
generation. Their worldview, clothes, mannerisms, music, speech have all
undergone massive changes, mostly as a result of media promoted westernization.
At the same time, the traditional family structure has fractured as a result of
the opening up of the economy, and nuclear families have become the norm.
Individuals now work far away from their families, and for longer times.
The end result is that lives
seem to have become exceedingly mechanical and complex, and there’s a yearning
to go back to simpler days when one was growing up – the carefree, good old
days when having fun was the only concern. The days when one was a happy,
little child, protected and taken care of by one’s loving family. The days when
time moved at a glacial pace, and one found comfort in repetition.
The golden, fun days of youth
that are now located irretrievably in the past. Never to be repeated.
A communal childhood
A thread that unites this
generation is a shared childhood filled with similar experiences. Experiences,
perhaps forever lost to those born in the late ‘90s and beyond. Barring a few
exceptions, these were common experiences, no matter where one stood on the
socio-economic ladder.
These are experiences that are
filtered through Doordarshan-and-Tinkle-tinted glasses, of an India forever
stuck in the 80s – early 90s. The epochal moment for our TG.
Indeed, a casual get-together with old friends might eventually end up being a collective, nostalgic look back at the good old days.
Indeed, a casual get-together with old friends might eventually end up being a collective, nostalgic look back at the good old days.
Enter Paper Boat
This post is inspired by a TVC that I saw recently. Now I’m
fairly jaded as far as media is concerned, after being inundated with it for
most of my life. However, credit where credit is due, even if you can identify
the tropes and the thought process inherent to a piece of work, all that
matters is if it ultimately proves to be effective.
And make no mistake, this particular TVC is very effective.
I’m talking, of course, about the new ad for Paper Boat.
Some background
It's a rare occurrence when a product, it's name, positioning and communication are all beautifully in sync.
Paper Boat’s tagline is “Drinks and memories” and they aim to bring you all your favourite old flavours in a new avatar. They were one of the first organized movers in what I would call the “packaged nostalgia” drinks segment.
These are drinks that we had
as kids at our grandmother’s house, or from a travelling juice vendor, or a
ramshackle shop down the road. Drinks from places and a particular time that
now only exist in memories.
The names reflect this aspect, as Paper Boat seems to have stuck to the traditional names and have not succumbed to the temptation to modernize them. So we have delightfully old-fashioned names like Aamras, Jaljeera, Thandai, Panakam etc.
The marketing team have also
decided to focus on this facet, and have mercifully resisted the urge to “modernize
and update the drinks for a cool new generation”. They have rightly
guessed that nostalgia is a more potent emotion for this generation, and it
makes sense as the product itself is a nostalgic throwback.
In effect, they are selling the only thing that this "materialistic" generation cannot buy, but very badly want.
In effect, they are selling the only thing that this "materialistic" generation cannot buy, but very badly want.
Packaging Nostalgia
Paper Boat has always seemed
to be very clear about its TG, positioning, brand message et al. It has all stayed
consistent throughout, and the strategy has paid off in spades.
They have managed to tap
into the yearning described earlier and have positioned their brand as an
empathetic aid to the TGs nostalgia for their vanished childhood. And since
this was a childhood with particular shared experiences, Paper Boat then
becomes a vehicle for a communal recollection of shared experiences, and mutual
validation.
The communication has always
been distinctive in presenting the simple past and a natively rooted
Indian life. One’s childhood experiences and common occurrences are
showcased through a Doordarshan-ist, Malgudi Days slant, where
TVCs/shorts are concerned, and a more Tinkle/Indian comic style of pictorial
representation over assets on social media and elsewhere.
The TVC
The TVC itself stays true to
Paper Boat’s positioning and ticks all the boxes mentioned.
A few cues and call-backs that
would trigger nostalgia in the TG:
- The kid reading Tinkle
- The sleeper class, non-AC train journey
- The kid occupying the window seat
- Mother cautioning kid to keep his hands away from the window
- Sharing food (in this case a fruit, that ties in neatly with the flavour being advertised at the end)
- Hesitant crossing between compartments
- Blowing up an air pillow
- Making friends/meeting a potential crush
- Fear of abandonment – The kid is afraid as his father gets down at a station to re-fill water; he fears the train leaving without his father
- Retrieving the footwear from under the seat
- Re-uniting with family after a long journey
- Malgudi-ish music (of course this is common to all the brands assets)
These are all common experiences that most individuals, born
in the time period mentioned earlier, identify with.
As of today, the TVC has got over a million hits on YouTube,
and massive exposure across various digital channels, similar to their prior
videos and other assets. The comments all bear witness to the fact that the ad
has connected in a big way, and has taken the TG back to their childhood, as
intended.
And all without the product being shown/used.
Now, this is subtle advertising that conditions the consumer
to associate the brand with a certain positive emotion.
Paper Boat is successfully appealing to its TGs memories to
sell its product. The product itself, the names, and the communication are all
rooted in the past – a perfect synergy.
So effectively, Paper Boat = Nostalgia.
Take a bow, guys.
Some thoughts
On a different note: I’ve noticed other ads picking up on
this nostalgia aspect to appeal to the 80s-90s “kids”. Manyavar (with Virat
Kohli), being an example.
Are we going to see an increase in this sort of communication
to appeal to Indian “Millenials”?
And is this part of the larger yearning on the part of the
TG to re-discover its roots, as they were the first generation to be
significantly influenced by westernized (Americanized) mores.
Something to ponder about.