Ad Review: Maruti Suzuki – “Kitna Deti Hai” (Juno)

If you’re driving down a crowded main road and you see a brand new Maruti Suzuki Swift zipping past other cars at break-neck speed, you know that even though it might seem foolish, there is a chance, however minute, that the driver in the car could have been inspired by an action movie scene. Similarly, there is a possibility, certainly very remote, that the steering wheel of that brand new four- wheeler could be in the hands of that driver only because of a short advertisement that popped up on the television screen in between two shows.

Maruti Suzuki has stormed the television channels, yet again, with something that I consider to be better than the famous “Petrol Khatam Hi Nahi Honda” ad. This advertisement is not about a particular car model; it is about the company, in general – about the sound services this vehicle producer has been providing.

This advertisement lasts for 30 seconds; to those who have seen this one, remember how, even after the first 25 seconds of this ad, you couldn’t tell if it was a car advertisement, and instead, thought it was a comical advertisement showing some science-illiterate Indians? And then right in the 26th second, the wacky question, one that becomes the climax of the ad, is asked. To those who haven’t seen this advertisement, it is a must-watch.

For most of the duration of the ad, a NASA scientist is giving a brief description of a spacecraft to a group of Indian tourists, who look pretty much impassive even as the scientist divulges some high-end details about the spacecraft. The most inquisitive query about the high-tech space shuttle unfolds when one of the tourists sincerely asks: “Kitna deti hai?”.

This question turns the entire show upside down and converts it into a brilliant and effective appeal that succeeds in addressing the purpose of an advertisement: to attract more buyers. How? Well, it uses the classic dilemma of the middle class: high fuel costs and affordability. Some critics have also gone on to say that it is an outright portrayal of how the common Indian mind is too calculative, at least when it boils down to money and savings.

The Indian automobile industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. 25 % of the population of this country belongs to the middle-income group. The highest selling cars are the middle-range ones, purchased mostly by the middle class section; out the four highest-selling cars in India, two are produced by Maruti Suzuki, making it the highest- selling car brand in the middle range car market. Yet, this automobile giant still feels the need to engage in a large-scale advertising campaign – as though its sales weren’t high enough anyway. Maybe, it is because the consumers have become so lazy, that they need advertisements to give them the information they need in order to make the best purchase; whichever seller has a better platter of information to give out, wins. In the end, the sales figures of Maruti Suzuki show that it continues to exert a pull on prospective as well as existing consumers – this time, through this simple yet impressive advertisement.

Krish Mehta

(5 votes, average: 4.60 out of 5)
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1. 
   Foam Insulations , on January 19th, 2011 at 6:33 pm Said:

   I am really thankful to this topic because it really gives useful information ,:”
2. 
   Raj , on January 5th, 2011 at 1:18 pm Said:

   very nice review of the ad.