Fevicol: Bonding For Dear Life

The adhesives brand, in its new ad, reinforces the importance of teamwork through the symbol of the human pyramid, a common sport played during the Dahi-handi celebrations.

The new Fevicol television campaign, released by Ogilvy India, is based on the dahi-handi festival. Directed by Corcoise Films, the ad highlights how teamwork is imperative to form the several-storey-high human pyramid that characterises dahi-handi celebrations.

Through the allegory of the human pyramid, the campaign tries to reinforce the existence of a strong bonding that binds people to their culture, and is symbolic of Fevicol's positioning of being the ultimate adhesive.

Piyush Pandey, executive chairman and creative director, Ogilvy & Mather -- South Asia, says, "Fevicol has always stood for ultimate bonding. It symbolises bonding beyond physical manifestations, and bonding of culture and humanity. The film revolves around Janamashtami, Lord Krishna's birthday during which people make human pyramids to climb and break the clay pot at the top which is symbolic of Lord Krishna stealing buttermilk from the
Gopikas
. Fevicol's tongue-and-cheek humour has created a hyperbole by making a pyramid that can even move from one location to the other."

Vivek Sharma, chief marketing officer, Pidilite Industries, says, "Over the years, Fevicol has established itself as an iconic brand that has become synonymous with forging a strong bond. The brand has embedded itself in the Indian consciousness and culture and is now a part of everyday lingo. The new TVC reflects this generational bond and affinity that the people of India have for Fevicol."

Talking about the first reaction after looking at the commercial, Spandan Mishra, head of strategic planning, Rediffusion Y&R, says, "It's quite cool. I liked it. The twist is nice. I couldn't predict what's going to happen in the film, so it was quite nice."

Regarding the ad doing justice to brand Fevicol's advertising standards, Mishra says, "It is shot brilliantly and has got lovely movement and reveal of the product. Although the India-Pakistan Fevikwik film was quite memorable because it was funny and contextual, this is more in the line of the Pepsi ad, having a young, but still
desi
and massy kind of a feel to it. Last year's ads were only about adhesives, but this is a large brand film according to me. I think it quite worked for me."

When asked if he would have treated the ad differently, Mishra says, "Something more could have been said than just writing ultimate adhesive, but the good thing about the film is that it is as well-executed as the idea can be."

Prathap Suthan, chief creative officer, Bang in the Middle, says, "For me, it is not a move on for the brand, but the execution is good, in fact, fabulous. But, though it was a great Fevicol ad, in what Fevicol normally does, there were really no surprises in it. You expected to see Fevicol at the back of someone. If you remember the old ad, the group of people on the bus going to the desert and there was Fevicol written on the back of the bus. It is very much in line with that kind of a strategy that when things are stuck together, they will never fall down."

Suthan further adds, "This is an ad where you think people will fall down, but they don't fall down. At some level it is expected. It's a great execution, but I think it is time for them to evolve into another level. It is good as well as bad."

But, Suthan says that the possibility of doing something different was there. "I would have certainly done something different with the ad, but it's a classic Fevicol ad and it will stay there," he says.

For Suthan, it is the Fewikwik's India-Pakistan (Todo Nahi Jodo ad) which is his most favourite among all Pidilite ads. The particular ad was released during the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup.