Fair play in advertising
So there’s a new fairness cream for MEN. Would you believe it? Fairness cream for MEN! Whatever happened to playing fair and square? Weren’t women supposed to be the fairer sex? Weren’t the women supposed to be all dark and ugly at the first meeting with the man and magically transform in just 4/6/x weeks into film stars and get the male all tongue tied?
But no! It seems men should go through the torture too. Of listening/watching lousy, derogative ads. Exploiting the Human Male’s weakness for the fairer sex, playing on insecurities to sell a product. Use this cream and get called “Hi Handsome” by half a dozen women and choose the one you most like.
But then, that isn’t what I really want to talk about. I want to mention two things I have learnt in this last 3 years as a Junior copywriter. (which I ain’t no longer. YAY!)
Point one. If there’s a need fill it. If not, invent a need and then fill it. Which seems to me what Emami is doing with their fairness cream for men. I have never wanted to look fairer. And I reckon, 90% of the men you ask the question will say the same thing. But here is a product that is made for men who want to look fairer. Would this need to look “whiter” have existed among men before this product debuted?
Or take a better example. Whitening Toothpaste. I have it on good authority (my dentist) that Indian teeth have traces of yellow in them and are not pearly white. But the last time I checked, Pepsodent Whitening was in the shopping bag of 3 of every 4 shopper, including mine. A product that exists solely by filling a need. And, might I add, a need created by the product itself. Other examples of inventing needs to fill: Mouthwash, Anti-dandruff shampoo (This one’s extreme. A dermatologist I went to says that 80% of humans have dandruff at least for 20% of their lives. It’s not a killer disease, nor was it a social one till recently), Car cabin fresheners (any one deciphered the AmbiPur commercial yet?)
Point two. Find a hook to hang your product’s promise on. Translated, it means play on people’s emotions/fears/insecurities. Playing on these emotions guarantees first sale. And sometimes, repeats too. After all, if I were afraid of dogs, and somebody sold “a dog repelling apparatus”, I would be the first one to buy it. Even if I know it is nothing but a stout stick.
Fairness creams almost always play on emotions and insecurities. I-am-ugly-and-won’t-find-a-husband-anytime-soon or I-am-dark-and-won’t-find-a-job-soon or My-husband-is-cheating-on-me-because-I-am-ugly. In comes the fairness cream. And Voila! My husband has resigned his job to be with me 24×7.
Playing on emotions/fear also means you have a perpetual appeal. A joke is only relevant till the joked upon exists. But fears, they are here to stay. Each generation pretty much face the same kind of problems. And the same kind of fears. Will I live to pass my genes on to somebody? Will my daughter/son settle down in life? Will I be able to retire with pride? Endlessly ad nauseum. So the more your advertising plays up on a fear and presents your product as the solutions, the longer it will sell your product.