New Delhi: Aamir Khan, or Mr Perfectionist as he is fondly known in the film circles, is back on television screens as the new brand ambassador of Chinese smartphone brand Vivo. The first series of television spots features the actor playing with his two pets (cat and a dog), clicking their pictures and subtly conveying the many camera features of the newly launched smartphone model Vivo V9.
This is Vivo’s ambitious integrated campaign currently being promoted across media platforms. It will also be brand’s Indian Premier League (IPL) special campaign as Vivo is the title sponsor at the upcoming T20 cricket tournament starting 7 April.
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Made by Brand David, an Ogilvy Group company, the series of three ad spots have a simple storyline and mere three characters (Khan and his pets) spending time at home. The 53-year-old actor has replaced Ranveer Singh who was the face of the smartphone brand for the last two years. Singh and Vivo ended their association mutually in February.
“Aamir Khan mirrors the values of versatility, perfection and innovation that we steadfastly follow at Vivo. This new association will enable us to explore newer avenues to reach our customers as we script our future growth strategy in India,” said Kenny Zeng, chief marketing officer, Vivo India, in a statement.
The new ads are in sharp contrast with the previous brand campaigns featuring Ranveer Singh which were highly influenced by high on life persona of the actor. For instance, Singh’s first ad (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pkf6iK6VdVM) with Vivo, where he is shown taking a selfie with a crazy female fan, stealing someone’s girlfriend in another spot or the one where he plays the perfect romantic date in Europe
Advertising experts believe that while Singh brought instant recognition and youth connect to the brand Vivo, Khan will take this brand journey to a more mature space.
“Ranveer Singh rubbed his bold, fun and vivacious persona on the brand Vivo,” said Naresh Gupta, strategy head and managing partner at advertising agency Bang in the Middle, adding that “though this change is dramatic and the new commercials add a lot more maturity to the brand. Clearly, brand Vivo is getting more serious and it might be looking at acquiring mature users (those who are buying their fourth or fifth brand) who do a lot more with their smartphone (like shooting videos) beyond just taking selfies,” he explained.
Manish Bhatt, founder-director at advertising agency Scarecrow Communications, said the new campaign is smart yet endearing and Vivo will benefit from the exclusivity that Aamir Khan brings to a brand.
“He never overshadows the brand and refuses to typecast himself whether in terms of on-screen characters he plays or the brands he endorses. My biggest problem with Ranveer Singh today is that he looks similar in most of the brand campaigns. In fact, there can be a category called Ranveer Singh advertising which is high on energy and irreverence,” he noted.
For Titus Upputuru, creative head, Taproot Dentsu, a Dentsu Aegis Network agency, the campaign works because even with a celebrity like Khan and interesting supporting cast, the product remains the hero. “The films are not boring despite product usage and benefits being at the heart of the communication. With the change in the celebrity, the story telling also seems to have to gone for an upgrade,” he added.