By Malay Desai
From: Fabrica & 72 and Sunny, Italy
The official film of the multinational apparel firm features three non-actors among other extras, struggling to find decent employment, then taking up to a street protest. Set against a heavy rock music theme and a male voiceover talking in the tone of a boss who is giving a promotion speech, the film interjects the three characters in various moods at home, at employment agencies and eventually on the streets. It ends with the words ‘Unemployee of the Year’ and calls for entries on UCB’s campaign website.
When ‘rebellion’ is staple diet for fashion advertisers across the world, it boils down to packaging to create a distinctive voice. United Colors of Benetton, the Italy-born global brand has done this effectively, standing out using pure provocation. Earlier this year, we wrote on how its images of global leaders kissing created shock and incited many. This promotion, part of the larger campaign of ‘Un-hate’, isn’t as controversial but works nevertheless.
Truth be said, the economic climate in Europe isn’t exactly stable, and unemployment among the youth is a ripe issue causing grief at political and social levels. Before you allege that the brand is simply harping on this real problem to sell more t-shirts, hear this: the film is a call to invite youngsters across countries (mostly Europe, UCB’s primary market) to submit project ideas in areas from communication/ecology/art and more.
Hundred of these will be put in motion with the company’s funding of 5000 Euros (approx 3.5 lakh rupees). Now, even if the premise of insensitive marketing is true, fact is that the campaign will project UCB’s image to millions as a do-gooder. And umpteen surveys have revealed how customers tend to buy stuff from brands they feel are giving back to the society.
The 80-second film doesn’t fall in the earlier themes of provocation meted out by the brand, but has enough angst in it to carry it through into the minds of the youth. By getting real faces, shooting them guerilla style and imbibing fast cuts of protests, the film has tapped upon the prevalent mood among European youth. Also, this is a lesson on how a strong script can add a new flavour to a TVC. Lines such as ‘A job doesn’t define me, what I fight for does’ set against a heavy guitar theme are impactful and intelligent. Values we aspire to.
Back home, we can join a direct line to Killer jeans’ ‘Save water’ spot (also featured here earlier) that featured similar anger. Lesson for the week: If a strong idea falls well ‘in the box’, why think out of it?
Watch the spot on Vimeo.com/51061301
