An advertisement is successful when it makes you buy the product. And it gets interesting when the advertisement uses the idea of social media to connect with the audience. That’s the case with the new Brooke Bond Red Label ad — conceptualised by Ogilvy — titled ‘Red Label: India’s Favourite Social Network’.
The film uses a simple idea of how tea has been bringing people together forever to the point that it’s the social network that you have been following unknowingly. The 1.45-minute ad (made to celebrate World Social Media Day) shows an aged woman in a housing complex offering tea to the new arrivals next door, thereby making new connections. The action moves to a morning scene where Damodarji, the local tea seller, has more likes every day than any post on social media (and Calcutta looks beautiful in the shot). Next scene: Atul’s tea keeps trending in the hostel when it’s pouring outside. And then a bunch of dabbawalas in Mumbai share “Stories” over tea. What makes the ad film brilliant is that nowhere does it say you need to drink Brooke Bond Red Label. It’s an ode to tea.
A similar idea has been tried by Heineken when the brand said through ads: “Social networking since 1873.” In fact, it’s a line in the company’s bio on social networks like Twitter.
Coffee drinkers too have a place. Communications strategy consultant Karthik Srinivasan has pointed out on LinkedIn that the Australian coffee chain, The Coffee Club, has some “sharp one-liners on its cups” with his favourite being “Still the most popular handheld device for catching up with someone!” He also points out a variant: “If you really want to connect, put down your smartphone and pick up a coffee!”
This is not the first time Brooke Bond has connected with the audience through meaningful advertisements. In 2020 it showed why the transgender community needs compassion (once again, visuals of Calcutta win hearts).