SUN, APR 14
NimishAndAkriti
Over the past few years, Cred has emerged as one of the most high-profile advertisers in India. Its ads are known for featuring celebrities and being inevitably funny in a rather whimsical manner. Mind you, one problem that the ads have had is that they are generally do not seem directly linked to the product and as a result, many people like the ads, but still do not know what Cred is actually about (it is a reward based credit card payments app).
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Cred has made the gentlemanly Rahul Dravid behave like a goon and made the likes of Venkatesh Prasad act like members of a boy band, but while the ads have been fun, they have not really talked much about the product. In fact, Cred ads are known for being fun to watch and difficult to understand. Fortunately, the latest Cred ad featuring award winning director SS Rajamouli and cricketer David Warner does not fall into that category.
The ad is about Creed's UPI payment system - an instant payment system from the app. It begins with Rajamouli asking Warner for a discount on tickets for a match. Warner advises him to use Cred UPI as it will get him cashback. "And if I use normal UPI?" asks Rajamouli. "You will have to do me a favour for the discount," says Warner. And what follows is sheer mayhem.
Chandramouli is known for his elaborate films with mythological settings, most notably Baahubali. And when he hears Warner's words about needing a favour, the director's mind switches to what the favour is likely to be - a role in his films. And his mind flies through various film scenarios, all of which involve the Aussie cricketer getting things wrong - from pulling a bat instead of a sword out a scabbard, to missing dance steps to asking for a kangaroo when required to ride a horse.
It is a nightmarish scenario for the director, especially as Warner seems to be unaware of the fact that he is getting things wrong. "See you at the Oscars then?" he remarks to a visibly irritated director. The demand for a kangaroo for a horse seems to be the last straw, and we cut back to the phone call with a sobered-by-thought Rajamouli telling Warner, "I will just upgrade to Cred UPI." You get a few messages on Cred UPI and how it gets you cashback, and that's it.
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We think that this is one of our favourite Cred ads, partly because it kind of sticks to letting a celebrity stay in character - Rajamouli remains a director right through. Warner does play a cinema hero but even he sticks to being a cricketer who is out of place and adheres to his slightly brash, outspoken persona, Best of all, the messaging is clear - Cred UPI gets you rewards and is a lot less troublesome than alternatives.
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For us, the real star of the show is Rajamouli whose subtle yet visible irritation convey the perils of not going with Cred UPI. Yes, we doubt whether other systems are as painful as directing an out of sorts David Warner in a mythological film, but then this is a humorous, over the top ad. Exaggeration is perfectly fine here. The best part : the ad is entertaining but also very clearly linked to the product. Anyone who sees it will realise it is about cash back provided by Cred UPI, and most folks know that UPI is a payment system.
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For us, this is the greatest achievement of the ad - it entertains and informs and also leverages both the celebrities in it by using them in the roles they are best known for (Warner remains a cricketer in a film), without getting too eccentric. The only downside is that the ad is so funny that a part of us wishes Rajamouli would not switch to Cred UPI and instead end up directing Warner! You can see the entire ad here https://youtu.be/fE0frCNDccQ?sā¦
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