A gripping Ad film by Ogilvy Kolkata for Lafarge Duraguard

As Madhumita Basu, Senior VP, Lafarge India, put it, "An ancient saying goes - Inner strength is a flame that warms the soul for many winters. Even in construction, what really makes a structure strong is inner strength of the cement. Yet, all cements only speak of the external manifestation of strength. Unlike Lafarge Duraguard, which with its Void Reduction Technology, does not allow harmful elements to seep in, and keeps the structure strong, from within. Our ad had to educate consumers on what to look for in cement, so that they can make their homes strong, durable, and maintenance-free. As the global leader in cements, Lafarge must help the customer understand the category, and guide him to make an informed decision.'

It is this "inside story' of walls, that the new Lafarge Duraguard commercial brings to light, through a simple yet riveting and dramatic analogy of a city left unprotected in the face of an onslaught by a gang of marauders.

The commercial offers the viewers a different perspective on purchasing cement. The TVC begins with the pillage and destruction of a city by a gang of dacoits as the guards of the city are seen sleeping away. It is a completely different take and the visual representation is commendable. No other cement brand advertisement equates this TVC. It is an attempt to make the consumer aware on what parameters one must purchase such a product. The viewer is hooked on the TVC as it begins because it arouses the curiosity of even the docile minds and everyone wonders why the guards are asleep. Also the product only comes to mind at the end of the TVC, otherwise making it impossible to guess. This ad film is an admirable effort by the Ogilvy & Mather team.

Experts from this domain praised the ad film, while some of them were concerned about the effectiveness of it. Whether or not it makes a difference in the purchasing pattern of the consumers is something one has to wait and see.

Malini Sengupta, General Manager, Ogilvy & Mather, Kolkata, says, "Out of all cement brands, Lafarge Duraguard is the only one that offers a Reason to Believe. So it made eminent sense to build the communication around this RTB, instead of just some empty claim'.

Given this brief, the challenge for Ogilvy & Mather was to create a film that educates, without being boring. According to Sumanto Chattopadhyay, Group ECD, Ogilvy & Mather, South Asia, "This film shows how a demo, often considered boring, can be dramatised to create a memorable TVC. It compels you to watch, makes you wonder what could be going on inside that innocuous looking crack in the wall.

It was a difficult shoot involving stunts and technological innovations. The vertical pull-out shot at the end, which would normally have been done through computer graphics, was shot live. Cars going through walls, statues being brought down, marauding hordes... it was a challenge to pull off but the end justifies the effort - we have on hand an ad that has all the makings of big screen cinema.'

Credits:

Agency: Ogilvy, Kolkata

Malini Sengupta, General Manager

Account Management:

Creative:

Koustuv Chatterjee, Creative Partner

Uttaran Chaudhuri, Copywirter supervisor

Production House: Lemon Yellow Sun Films