Tata Nano swerves for the youth

The new television commercial aims to position the Nano as the next Indian youth car in the small car segment.

Ever since its much-anticipated launch and the subsequent underwhelming response of the market, the Tata Nano has struggled to establish the desired connect with consumers. The latest television commercial for the brand that promotes the improved version of Tata Nano targets the youth segment, projects it as a car for the youth and showcases the fun of long drives.

The new improved four wheeler from Tata Motors offers a mileage of 25.35 kilometres per litre, better air conditioning system and increased seating space by 21 per cent, as communicated by its the TVC, titled Discovery.

The commercial begins with a young man who is apparently going for a holiday with friends. At the last moment, he decides to take a ride on his Nano. He drives through different cities and terrains of the country, the joy of the long ride, peace and comfort very evident throughout the journey covering picturesque lakes, mountains and deserts. After an enriching expedition, he finally reaches the beaches of Goa to meet his friends and is shown having fun around the car.

Tata Nano, along with its creative agency Rediffusion-Y&R, interacted with several Nano owners during the past one year and after an in-depth understanding of their feedbacks, came up with this campaign.

Delna Avari, head, Nano product group, Tata Motors, says, "Our brief to Rediffusion was to retain the brand's youthful disposition while building on the pride that came with owning a Tata Nano and celebrate the spirit of being independent thinkers."

Nilesh Vaidya
, executive creative director, Rediffusion-Y&R, says, "With its latest brand film, Tata Nano pays rich tribute to the attitude of the people who drive it - an attitude of independence and free thinking, of always choosing to follow one's heart."

Avari says, "The focus of this campaign was to showcase that spirit of the Nano owner, who is finding his way on an enriching journey of new experiences and self-discovery."

Produced by Dungarpur Films, the 40-second commercial also showcases the ruggedness, pickup, mileage, cooling and manoeuvrability of the Nano.

The TVC is an extension of Tata Nano's 'Khushiyon ki Chabi' campaign that has taken the brand to people through various positionings such as a family's first car, high mileage vehicle and the first four-wheeler after two-wheelers.

Avari adds that the Tata Nano is a personal mobility option for everyone. It is a unique product that appeals to people across various demographics, irrespective of age, gender, economic strata and geography.

Through this film, the Nano has gone all out to reach out to the youth customers and aims to promote the car as India's next youth car in the small car segment. The campaign will use the television medium for mainline communication, spread over national as well as regional channels across genres such as general entertainment, music, movies and news. It will also use the digital space through platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and the website that promotes the new television commercial.

To extend its reach to a wider audience, the brand has launched a nationwide out of home (OOH) campaign that covers both metro and upcountry markets. The OOH campaign involves billboards across 600 sites in 56 cities and will run till mid-December.

Sidetracked?

afaqs! spoke to a few industry experts to know if the film hits home, or gets lost on the way.

Amit Kekre, head, planning, DDB Mudra, says, "The insight behind the ad is extremely good. The youth like to explore and discover as much as they can. So when they buy their four wheeler vehicles, they look for good mileage, comfort, reliability and space."

It is very clear from the commercial that the company plans to target the youth who plan to buy the first car, are just out of the college and have taken jobs or started business, adds Kekre.

However, Manish Bhatt, founder-director, Scarecrow Communications, provides a different opinion. He says that the Nano is a confused brand, lost in the jungle of advertising and adds that the film lacks sharpness. He further elaborates that through this commercial, the brand tries to convey a rational point using an emotional route, which is difficult. In his opinion, people will not be able to connect with the ad for a long time.