When demonetisation influenced copywriting...

A look at some recent ads that referenced demonetisation creatively.

From ads to spoofs, to poetry and songs, the government's demonetisation drive has lent itself to all forms of creativity. While we try to explore the impact of this development on ad spends across categories, here are some examples of how it influenced copywriting.

Bajaj Avenger, Bajaj Auto's cruiser bike, recently came up with a new campaign, #RideDontHide. Much like the brand's earlier ads, this one also shows the protagonist enjoying the freedom and solitude of a lone journey to distant, unknown places on an Avenger. But this time around, his mind is caught in thoughts of wealth...

"Ya, I am wealthy, very wealthy, and my wealth is stashed away in many places. Some places, it's green, sometimes it's blue, in some a bright hue of yellow, and in some places, it's covered in white. I am wealthy beyond measure, but none of it is black," he says. The film ends with the brand's 'Feel Like God' slogan.

Conceptualised by Mullen Lintas, the ad was released on YouTube on December 9.

No event in India can go without being chronicled by the witty Amul girl. Punning on demonetisation, the brand's topical read, "Five hundread is hazardous? Amul accepts all bread."

With this initiative by the government, e-wallets and other fin-tech brands found themselves twice as relevant, and to 'cash-in' on the development they came up with their respective campaigns.

While print ads started appearing in national and regional dailies within a couple of days from the announcement on November 8, market leader Paytm, along with its agency McCann Delhi, quickly rolled out a set of video ads on how it can save the day for cash-strapped citizens across socio-economic classes.

Recall that one of its films in which the maid tells an anxious employer, "Didi, drama bandh karo, Paytm karo", was also criticised for allegedly exploiting the crisis and making fun of the trouble that poor people are facing due to demonetisation. The ad was tweaked later.

Yet another ad by the brand that sought to bring about a behavioural change in Indians urged them to change the tradition by paying 'shagun' at weddings using Paytm in place of cash.

Freecharge also came up with a campaign 'Freecharge kiya matlab cash diya' to show how a housewife can run things smoothly using the mobile wallet during this crash crunch. The ad demonstrated the user-friendliness of the Freecharge app that allows it to be used with the local shopkeeper or vegetable seller with ease.

Ola launched a multi-channel campaign titled 'Nahi rukega India. Cashless chalega India'. Conceptualised by Happy mcgarrybowen, it also marked the brand's support to the government's demonetisation drive. The ad addressed the average Indian commuters, while urging them to look at the bright side of this change.

Online marketplace Snapdeal that recently got a new brand identity and tagline 'Unbox Zindagi', announced the #UnboxCashFreeSale to make the most of the opportunity. The sale was communicated with an ad campaign hinged on the thought 'Cash ho na ho, life ke sabse important transactions rukne nahi chahiye' (Cash or no cash, the most important transactions in life must go on).

Another brand that found a fit for itself in this change was Penguin India. The publisher released an ad to give people a way to beat the boredom while standing in long queues at banks and ATMs. The copy read, "the next time you are going to face a queue, don't forget to carry your ATM (All Time Mate)."