Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Lenovos new thriller-like ad is an unusual way of selling a laptop. And it succeeds in grabbing the viewers attention with its power-packed script
Campaign name: Lenovo Helix – A Laptop that splits into a tablet
Brand: Lenovo
Company: Lenovo India
Agency: Ogilvy & Mather India
Ratings: ***
The Campaign
Actor Ranbir Kapoor plays the role of a secret agent,being chased by Russian gangsters. He has some vital information secured from a mission. The film opens with Kapoor using his Lenovo laptop in an elevator,alongside a young woman. As he reaches his floor,hes confronted by two men and the woman who was with him in the lift. At gunpoint,they ask Kapoor to handover the files on his laptop. He stops for a second. Just as the elevator doors are about to shut,he presses a button which separates the keyboard of the laptop,which falls to the floor. He takes the rest of the laptop and steps back into the elevator. A voice over introduces the Lenovo Helix,a laptop that splits into a tablet. The film ends with Kapoor shown going back to the spot he dropped the keyboard to pick it up
Our Take
This one runs on like a thriller. It could be a Perry Mason novel. Or a James Bond film. It makes your heart pace and your pulse race. The script has all the ingredients to build up the right kind of suspense. The ad starts off on an innocuous note and gives way to a surprise ending. The casting is impeccable. Kapoor appears to be a regular guy pottering around on his laptop. The lady in the lift is sweet faced and harmless as a swan. Just when youre wondering if Lenovo is going to spring a love story on you,the lift doors open and the bad boys swoop in. Whats more,Kapoors deceptively sweet companion transforms into a scarlet woman and totes a gun. The remarkable twist in the tale. Despite yourself,you are intrigued. You want to know more. It certainly is an unusual way of selling a laptop that doubles up as a tablet. The Helix is a premium segment convertible,suitable for those who multi task and make presentations. This slick Hollywood style production is apt for its target group. Its a heady adventure,encased in a 30-second capsule and few can pull it off with such finesse. Or such grace. The agency must be given due credit for walking along the less beaten path. They could easily have taken the humdrum route. They could have talked about the many features of the Lenovo Helix and defended its pricing. Or they could have trashed the competition. But they traded all of that for a power packed script. And delivered.
The only flip side to this is that Kapoor is an overused celebrity. He endorses Blackberry,Axe,Pepsi,The Times of India,Panasonic,John Players,the United Sikkim Football Club (USFC) and a host of other brands. Its hard to flick a channel or turn a page without running into him. Could this be overkill? Then again,perhaps not. For we are all suckers for spy stories. In terms of recall,this could be a winner.
