Pan Pasand Vs Spotify: Much ado over transformation as a creative device

Every once in a while, we come across ads that look similar in concept or idea or execution or look to some earlier ad campaign or other content, and the whole debate on plagiarism or copy cat ads gains momentum. 

The latest ad campaign under the scanner of social media users is that of Spotify. The three-film campaign, conceptualised by Leo Burnett, showcases the positive impact of music, which changes the mood for the better for listeners. 

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Some netizens have pointed out that Spotify’s campaign is similar to that of the ad campaign of Pan Pasand, the paan-flavoured candy from Ravalgaon, in concept. Conceptualised by Advertising Avenues, the Pan Pasand ad campaign was released way back in 1986. 

Time and again we have seen agencies and brands clash over similarity in ad campaigns. Sometimes matters escalate to ASCI and the courts. One would recall the Lux Cozy versus Amul Macho controversy that erupted in September 2021. JG Hosiery, makers of Amul Macho Innerwear, alleged that Lux Cozi had blatantly copied its Amul Macho ‘TOING’ Ad. JG Hosiery alleged that the Lux Cozi Ad contravened Chapter IV of the ASCI Code, Clause 4.3, which states that: “Advertisements shall not be similar to any other advertiser’s earlier run advertisements in general layout, copy, slogans, visual presentations, music or sound effects, so as to suggest plagiarism”. 

The company approached the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) seeking redressal. However, ASCI in its judgement dated 24.09.2021 overruled the complaint filed by JG Hosiery and observed that “there is no similarity in terms of concept and executional elements”. 

Coming back to Pan Pasand and Spotify, while Pan Pasand is a product that was sold for 25 paise, Spotify is an audio streaming platform. Prima facie, the idea seems similar – in the case of Pan Pasand, it changes the mood of angry people into a happy mood after consuming the candy; on the other hand, listening to some peppy music on Spotify helps people change the situation and mood they find themselves in to their advantage. The Pan Pasand ads stick to a singular concept – angry to happy – and feature the popular faces of that time – Archana Joglekar, Bharti Achrekar and Javed Jaffery. It’s not shown what made them angry in the first place. On the other hand, the Spotify ads showcase people unhappy because of the situation they find themselves in – a guy having to wait for long for his wife to pick him up, a couple of girls finding themselves at a party where no one knows them, and a guy heartbroken over his break-up with his girlfriend. In each case music uplifts the mood as they make the best of the situation they are faced with. 

In a category like candies, it is the advertising that brings in the differentiation and creates recall for the brands. In the case of Spotify, the whole category survives on quality content. 

Nevertheless, the debate that has hit social media is regarding the similarity of the ideas. But is that really the case? Is it a rip-off of the decades-old ad or just coincidence? 

Giving his observation on the whole case, Vistasp Hodiwala Co-Founder and CCO, Underdog; Co-Founder, Centrick, said, “I wouldn’t beat up the Spotify commercials as a copy. Superficial likeness? Most certainly in form. But that’s where it ends. Content-wise, Spotify is high on energy and captures the idea of how a song can alter the mood in moments, perfectly.” 

He noted that it is possible that an old member of a creative team had stored away those Pan Pasand films in that human hard drive we call the brain, and after that, it’s relatively easy to take a leap. “But it’s also equally probable that this idea occurred without any sense of lingering deja vu. We must make peace with the fact that these things are normal and happen all the time in any creative field. And so long something doesn’t stink like a blatant lift, I would exercise caution in blaming the creative team for a rip-off. There’s a lot of hard work involved in creating such good work after all,” he added. 

Nisha Sampath, Managing Partner, Bright Angles Consulting LLP, pointed out that every brand aspires to be the ‘magician’ that transforms people’s lives, elevating them from the mundane to the extraordinary. “Transformation is a natural fit with some categories. Music is truly mood changing, just like chocolate, or fragrance can be,” she noted, adding, “What Spotify is doing here is using transformation as a creative device to create an entertaining ad. Many other brands have done this in the past, such as Kit Kat, Axe, Bingo and Mentos. You see the similarity between Spotify and Pan Pasand, because they are playing off the same time-tested theme.” 

Sampath further said that as long as it engages with the consumer and it is credible, it will work well for the brand. “The caveat is that like any creative device, transformation can become boring and predictable if over-used. We saw that Axe had to move away to a new space. But as a well-done campaign idea, with a goal to generate awareness and downloads, I am sure it will work the magic for Spotify,” she concluded.