Parle: One big happy family

To promote its newly launched choco-chip cookies, Happy Happy, Parle Products uses the old technique of morphing to emphasise that the cookie belongs to the masses, and eating it brings happiness.

To promote its new choco-chip cookies, Happy Happy, Parle Products has launched a campaign that uses the old technique of morphing to emphasise that the cookie belongs to the masses, and eating it brings happiness.

Conceptualised by Everest Brand Solutions, three television commercials (from one long video) have been created, which show different people such as a Bengali woman, a school boy, a Sardar and a South Indian lady grooving to a tune while taking a bite of the cookie. The TVC is backed by a jingle, 'Happy Happy', which is played in the background.

Speaking to afaqs!, Shalin Desai, group product manager, Parle Products, says, "With this campaign, we wanted to leverage the brand name Happy Happy and create a simple, effective and clutter-breaking communication that compliments the name and the USP of the brand. With this TVC, we have tried something visually different, with extensive use of morphing and special effects."

Samir Chonkar, executive creative director, Everest Brand Solutions, explains, "Happy Happy, the choco-chip cookie, is targeted at the masses and comes in two pack sizes priced at Rs 5 and Rs 10. It has been positioned as a mass product, which is liked by all irrespective of age. Morphing enabled us to establish the fact that the cookie belongs to the masses in an interesting manner."

Leaving an imprint

While advertising professionals agree that the TVC leaves one with a happy feeling, they add that the technique used is old and therefore, the campaign lacks in freshness appeal.

Ryan Menezes, chief creative officer, Percept/H, says, "Well, it's a happy film for a happy product! Surely breaks a record for the number of times a brand name appears in an ad. Happy jingle, happy models using the product - this ad is a client's dream come true. If the brief was just to register the name in people's heads, then well done! It's old school, right down to the dated morphing effect but somehow, inexplicably, it works. Sometimes it's refreshing to see an ad that's not embarrassed to be an ad. Is it great advertising? No. Will it win awards? No. Does it make me happy? Yes."

Joy Chauhan, executive business director and vice-president, JWT, remarks, "The first thing I get busy with while looking at the film is, 'I have seen something like this before'. I guess the morphing treatment makes me think that. Parle ads in the past have missed out on insight at times but have done well in execution. This time around, the execution, too, does not seem novel. The films seem like edits made out of one big one."

"The music is irritatingly catchy. Last but not the least, the legal team has yet again got the better of marketing. While it says 'loaded with choco chips', you almost miss those five-odd pieces of choco chips on the poor cookie!," he adds.