Top Ten Ads of 2010

My top 10 communication campaigns of the year 2010:

1. “Desh ka mail, Bhartiya Rail” television ad - Amazing connect of the past with the present, something that the Railways does everyday.
2. “Bhaasha ki zaroorat nahin hoti” campaign by Idea Cellular – Teaches us the basic truth of life.
3. Honda Jazz X television ad – Refreshing change from otherwise boring techno-gibberish other car brands dish out, simple fun on wheels.
4. Indigo “On Time” 360 degree campaign – On television, on ground, in aircraft.
5. Tata Tea “anti-corruption in education” television campaign – They continue with their mission, steadfast, unabated.
6. “Do boond” campaign by Pulse Polio – Very effective given the layers of society it has to penetrate to ensure implementation.
7. “Atithi devo bhava” campaign to rejig the Indian psyche towards tourists and visitors.
8. Fortis Healthcare outdoor campaign – The right mix of fear and reassurance.
9. Virgin Mobile “Indian Panga League” viral campaign during IPL3 – Audacious fun.
10. Raymond’s complete man campaign – Never goes out of style, actually.

My top 5 rebranding exercises of the year 2010:

1. Rajnikanth in Enthiran – Every time a movie is released, he transforms himself, to tell the rest of the film world what they should try, or better avoid.
2. Bihar – Quietly and steadily the favourite punching bag of India is transforming itself into a powerhouse of both industry and intellect.
3. Café Coffee Day – Very disarming and inviting, and the attention to detail is worth praise.
4. Blackberry – They have transformed themselves completely from an office phone to being the smart phone of choice for urban India. In one word, awesome!
5. East India Company – Yes, it is back, but this time based out of London.

Avik Chattopadhyay, CEO of Saffron Brand Consultants, labels himself an automotive junkie and a greenhorn brand consultant and picks his top ten ads as well as the top 5 re-branding campaigns of 2010. Avik can be contacted at avik@saffron-consultants.com