Advertising for two-wheeler tyres can get grim, often accompanied by technology jargon that emphasises on the long life and superior grip offered by the brand in question. The grimness stems from the usual caveat of possible loss of life on road from two-wheeler companies, as they aim to inspire despondent bikers to opt for a safe pair of tyres. Side-stepping such scare-mongering, Ceat Tyres’ new monsoon campaign takes a humorous approach as it highlights the perils that Indian bikers face while riding two-wheelers during the rainy season.
The television commercial (TVC) captures the callous, unpredictable and often dangerous actions of commuters, pedestrians and four-wheeler drivers during rains. The key character of the TVC is Nehlau, a carefree car driver who enjoys and takes pride in taking fellow road travellers by surprise by making a huge splash in stagnant water as he drives past speedily. He is depicted as the mahapurush (the sage) who takes pleasure in drenching Mandakini (the woman he is infatuated with). Unconcerned with the plight of those walking and riding on roads, Nehlau nearly runs over a startled pedestrian even as a biker comes to a halt by slamming the brakes on time. Thanks to the strong grip offered by Ceat Tyres, the biker is able to save himself from slipping and a potential life-threatening injury.
The campaign introduces Ceat’s all-season bike tyres.
“Ceat Tyres has been promoting safer and smarter mobility for the longest time. This campaign too brings into focus the hazards that bikers face while riding on roads during monsoon. With potholes covered by water and large vehicles splashing puddles as they drive by bikers are vulnerable on roads during rains. We have used real-life insights to identify key triggers for bikers to go for a safer pair of tyres during monsoons,” says Nitish Bajaj, vice-president marketing, Ceat Limited.
The campaign aims to position Ceat’s all-season bike tyres as the ideal solution for bikers to face all kinds of uncertainties and surprises that they may encounter while riding bikes during monsoon. The campaign has been conceptualised by Ogilvy and Mather.
According to Rohit Dubey, senior creative director, Ogilvy and Mather, for tyre manufacturers monsoon holds special meaning. It is a time for introspection. For bikers it’s a question of how good a rider they are as roads deteriorate. Bikers are a lot more vulnerable with invisible potholes and unconcerned car drivers splashing water on fellow two-wheeler drivers.
“While looking for ideas, we wanted to break away from the tried and tested approach of tyre manufacturers bombarding consumers with the details of the technology that powers the tyres — an aspect that an average buyer may not be inclined to know simply because she abhors technology jargon,” says Dubey.
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Bajaj says tyre replacement is a grudge purchase, that is bikers need a trigger to go for a new pair. They would do so in case they experience sudden skidding or while struggling with low tyre pressure during a regular vehicle inspection. Therefore, it becomes important for a tyre manufacturer to enjoy top-of-the-mind recall among consumers.
Ceat Tyres, on its part, is investing heavily in marketing and associating with sporting events such as the Indian Premier League in its bid to rev up recall for the brand.