Vodafone has reinvented its communication strategy several times surprising the viewer every time. At the end of the day, like many past campaigns of Vodafone, this campaign too weaves its magic
Campaign: Vodafone Network (First love/Made for moms)
Brand: Vodafone
Company : Vodafone India
Agency: Ogilvy & Mather
The Campaign
The campaign which is a series of two ads promotes Vodafone?s network through the depiction of various situations. The television ad opens with a young man lying on his bed and talking to his girlfriend on the phone. He wants to know her zodiac sign. He then goes on to say that people born under Virgo and Taurus (the zodiac sign of the young man) signs are said to be a perfect match for each other. As he continues talking to his girlfriend, he steps out of his flat and takes the elevator. Still chatting on the phone, the young man steps out of the society building and enters a grocery store. There also he continues to speak on his phone even as he purchases groceries. After making the payment to the shopkeeper, he boasts to his girlfriend on the phone that unlike many others he is not forgetful nor misses anything. That very moment the shopkeeper calls him and hands him his packet of goods which he had purchased and had forgotten in the store. The guy finishes all his daily chores without disconnecting the call. Finally, he peeps out of his window and says, ?Accha! By the way, good morning.? The ad ends with the message, ?Made for first love ?The network for never ending conversation.? Finally, Vodafone?s logo appears on the screen.
The second television commercial titled, ?Made for moms? shows a man talking to his mom everywhere he goes, whether it is the airport where he goes through the security check or he is in the middle of a shoot and even late at night when he is returning after a long gruelling day at work.
Our take
One of the earliest campaigns of Vodafone India (then known as Hutch), ?You & I?, that featured a pug, was the company?s first attempt at promoting its network. The campaign, which showed the dog (pug) following a small boy in unlikely locations, was launched with the tagline, ?Wherever you go, our network follows?. Not only did the campaign become a hit amongst consumers across all age groups, the pug too caught the nation?s fancy so much so that almost every second house wanted to own the cute dog. After acquiring Hong Kong-based Hutchison?s stake in Hutch Essar in 2007, Vodafone unveiled a re-branding campaign while retaining the endearing pug. The company then introduced zoozoos to consumers during the first season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which instantly clicked with consumers. Besides the Zoozoos and the pug, Vodafone had also launched campaigns featuring actor Irrfan Khan for its various value-for-money services. After the launch of the campaign featuring mini zoozoos during this year?s IPL, the latest campaign plays an important role in breaking the monotony. With a smart plot, the viewer is left guessing the brand for the commercial till the end, when finally the Vodafone logo appears. Both ad films convey the message that ?the excellent network? was Vodafone in a subtle manner.
For a telecom brand it is very easy to get typecast, especially when it follows a particular format, but that has not been the case with Vodafone India. From time to time, the telecom brand has reinvented its communication strategy and has always left the Indian consumer mesmerised. At the end of the day, like many previous campaigns of Vodafone, this particular campaign too leaves the consumer smiling.
