“The purpose isn’t to sell a feature, but connect with the audience emotionally”: Nipun Marya on vivo’s Diwali ad

Dentsu Impact has conceptualised the film, and the background score has been curated by music director and playback singer Aman Pant.

In order to bring joy to people this Diwali, smartphone brand vivo has just rolled out a campaign, titled ‘Joy of Homecoming’, across digital platforms. Through an interesting story, the film captures how Indians are deeply connected to their families.

The ad also encapsulates the role of mobile photography in rekindling the joy of connection. Backed by a strong narrative and starring actor Kanwaljit Singh, the film communicates vivo's endeavour to strengthen bonds and bring families together.

The commercial starts with an elderly man (played by Singh), whose family is settled abroad and he lives alone in a big house with a caretaker. The distance between him and his grown-up children haunts him. So, he draws solace from the company of travellers, who rent his house.

The film then transitions to Diwali time, when a youngster decides to escape the polluted city life and bonds with him (Singh) during his stay in the house. An emotional roller-coaster, the film ends on a happy note, uniting him (Singh) and his family. The message is that Diwali is the festival of homecoming and is best celebrated with loved ones.

The brand’s team informs that Anupama Ramaswamy, NCD, Dentsu Impact, created the film and also wrote the lyrics. The background score was curated by music director and playback singer Aman Pant, who used a Carnatic violin to highlight pain and loneliness.

Speaking to afaqs! about the campaign, Nipun Marya, director - brand strategy, vivo India, says that Diwali is an opportune moment for various brands to speak to their consumers in a language they appreciate.

“The purpose of this ad isn’t to sell any particular feature, but to touch the emotional chord of all our audiences. Through this piece of communication, we wanted to build that emotional connection with people by explaining what our brand purpose is, as we truly believe that technology is an enabler to give us joy.”

As it's a long format five-minute film, YouTube has been used, in addition to social media channels like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

“I think on Diwali, the media noise is inevitable. The only way you can do it is by ensuring that your message is clear, concise and relevant for your TG. The media choices that you make, should also be right for the TG,” Marya adds.

He also shares that vivo's been able to get the right amount of buzz and brand salience over the last year. Throughout the year, it was present across all major media channels, whether it was digital, television, outdoor, etc.

vivo was also the title sponsor of the recently concluded sporting extravaganza Indian Premier League (IPL). “Overall, it's been a busy year when it comes to media spends. As far as sales are concerned, we're slowly getting back to pre-COVID levels and look forward to the festive season,” states Marya.

Talking about the top challenges, he shares, “The most important thing today is to understand your consumer. It is very easy to say, but it is very difficult to do because the consumer is constantly changing and evolving. They have many choices are across different media channels and micro-segments that have emerged now. To tap into your audience passion points, is not the easiest these days.”

Another challenge that Marya mentions is that of building an emotional connection with the consumer, which, as per him, comes by understanding the brand's purpose.

On the competition, Marya says, “You just have to be aware of what is happening in the industry. Not just about the competition, but also the consumers and the supply chain. Be aware of what you can and can't do as an organisation and only then can one take a decision and take the organisation forward. I won't limit my understanding to only my competition. I think it has to be a 360-degree understanding.”

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