A.The message of the Ad Commercial title: Camlin Permanent Markers – Rudaali The title refers to a custom in some parts of Rajasthan – where aristocratic women were long kept secluded and veiled – of hiring professional women mourners on the death of a male relative, a rudaali (pronounced roo-dah-lee, literally a female weeper) to publicly express the grief that family members, constrained by their high social status, were not permitted to display – or at times, perhaps did not feel. Dressed in black and with unbound hair, a rudaali beat her breast, dance spasmodically, rolled on the ground, and shed copious tears while loudly praising the deceased and lamenting his demise; the ability to hire such a performer was a mark of social status. (Rudaali Film) Advertising Agency: LOWE Mumbai India Country: India Released: November 2006 Duration: 1.20 minutes Product: Camlin Permanent Marker Award: World‟s Greatest Commercial by NTV Japan Description of the TVC: The TVC was made to promote one of the products of Camlin that is Permanent Marker. Normally in India, bangles, lockets and vermillion mark are the symbol of married women. Daily the husband applies vermillion on the wife forehead as it is believed to be connected to his lifeline. When the husband dies, Rudaali professional mourners come and strip the . Regardless of the purpose. Thus highlighting the quality of Camlin Permanent Marker. After awhile. who carry out less important administrative. Buyers from this segment are very likely to practice brand loyalty. provided the quality is promising. these white collar workers are very much price elastic towards the product. the advertisement for Permanent Marker was targeted on lower middle class workers. the advertisement was aimed at artists and illustrators who use permanent marker for lettering. sometimes known as “white collar workers”. In the ad when the husband is alive he applies the vermilion on the women head with the Camlin Permanent marker. whether it is for interest or job. 2010) Target audience: Demographically. (Sarita Patil. supervisory and clerical jobs. they are less likely to be loyal. they are buyers who purchase the product for the consumption of semi skilled and unskilled workers who often deal with labeling and marking packages. They are not the end user of this product. Psychographically. as well as office use. store keepers and stationary purchasers. Besides. sketching. Thus. For example. They are less responsive towards price because personal satisfaction and job satisfaction for artists usually overrule other causes. This group of people is non-consumers.women off this symbol. and when he dies the professional mourners try to remove the vermillion from the head but it doesn‟t go. the husband comes back to life symbolizing that the Camlin Permanent marker is too permanent to be removed. as their demand for the good fluctuates along with prices. aged between 21 and 40. and drawing. implies user friendliness. On top of that. which is the most essential function. would be ease of application/use as well as the cultural nuances. the husband passed away. The use of professional mourners further suggests the Indian cultures and believes. The husband will live as long as the permanent bindi stays. The husband applies vermillion on the wife‟s forehead on a daily basis. when they use Camlin Permanent Marker. the key message in this ad. Everything came off. Really Permanent. because that‟s the key feature that urges consumers to change from something familiar to something new. The association of vermillion mark with the permanent marker suggests that. The phrase impliedly described the long-lasting feature of a permanent marker. Thus. the substitution of traditional vermillion with permanent marker. What would a permanent marker be. instead of crayons.” is the copy used at the end of the commercial. if it does not last? The primary message was to emphasize on Camlin Permanent Marker‟s quality. apart from its highlighted quality. as it is believed to be connected to his lifeline. life and marriage are permanent. Secondary Message: Vermillion mark (also known as bindi) on the forehead symbolize married woman. because her husband had used Camlin permanent marker. . the professional mourners came and start taking off the symbols that depict the widow‟s married status.Primary Informational Message: “Camlin Permanent Marker. chalks and pen. as a result he gets a second life. but her bindi. In the ad. Advertising Claim (techniques of language): With our 50. which is why our Camlin Art Foundation was set up. Our All India Camel Colour Contest too has been well-received. (Camlin Today) Camlin Limited was awarded the title of „Edge Winner‟ for its successful SAP implementation by Network Computing. the brand „Camlin‟ was adjudged as Power Brand of the Year 2009-10 in the stationery category by Planman. regular interaction with consumers by the sales force and participation in international trade fairs like Paperworld in Frankfurt.000 strong retailer network. (Annual Report 2010) . Also. We also believe in encouraging and promoting fine art. Camlin is now a trusted household name all over India. We were also the first company in India to adhere to Art & Creative Materials Institute‟s world standards in toxicity certifications. holding the record of the highest entries ever and has been registered in the Limca Book of World Records. one of the leading IT magazines in India. large consumer base. prestigious foreign collaborations. In the ad. The landscape of Rajasthan is very gorgeous and the people adorn interesting customs. suffering from severe illness and expected to die. The commercial was shot probably during evening. (Climate India) Rajasthan is situated in the north west of India and is known as the most colourful region of India. constrained by their high social status. supported by a group of professional mourners. was wearing bangles. whereby most scenes are shot inside the hut and depicts traditional custom of Rajasthan. where summer temperature regularly reach 45 degree Celsius and beyond. The man here is believed to be at his forties. (Culture of Rajasthan) The surroundings suggest ruralisation. an ailing man and women who wear the symbols of married status. Setting The setting of this commercial is slightly similar to the film “Rudaali” by Kalpani Lajmi. to publicly express the grief that family members. in which most shots are done in the region of Western Rajasthan. . locket and vermillion mark. A majority of population in Rajasthan reside in villages. The professional mourners dressed in black and with unbound hair. as there‟s limited sunlight and cloud was somehow gloomy.B. looking worried and dazed. are usually hired on the death of a male relative. Characters Composition The commercial featured two main characters. The background sound and wavering clothes suggest there were wind blowing steadily. along with burning dry heat of the desert and thorny bushes. they were required to also remove the symbols of married status of the women. were not permitted to display. sitting next to the sick man. The woman. assumed to be the man‟s wife. The copywriter uses words like vermillion and Rudali to capture public‟s attention because people can easily relate themselves to certain culture. The rationale behind could be to make things more understandable for the non-Indian community. to provide a brief background of Indian culture. “Camlin Permanent Marker. which emphasizes on product name and quality. It further explains the need to strip off a woman‟s symbols of married status.Copy This written copy appeared in the very beginning of the commercial. . Really Permanent” is the verbal copy used to end the commercial. On top of that. the copy also emphasizes on connections between vermillion mark and a husband‟s lifeline. Amazingly rich music of Rajasthan has an extraordinary individuality. there was a voice over for the verbal copy. Dholaks. chang or manzira. almost an endless variety of tunes. Before it ends. The crying and sobbing made the scene more sorrowful. having difficulty. only music and natural noise. Folk music is a very important part of Rajasthan culture.Sound The background sound in the beginning was formed by steady wind blowing. (Culture of Rajasthan) As far as sound is concern. The man taking in deep breath illustrates that he was critically ill. When the man heaves. the mournful music starts to play. struggling to breath. . A large variety of musical instruments is used in the countryside. Songs are generally related for every occasion with rich emotional content. flutes. trumpets are generally used. using an Indian slang. mournful music was replaced by exhilarating authentic music which suggests celebration. Thereafter. The immediate discontinuation implied that he was dead. tradition and exotic flavour. Each region of Rajasthan has its own dialect of music and dance. The jingle of coins sound effect shows the breaking and removal of bangles and locket. followed by Rudalis screaming in anguish. the commercial experienced a 360 degree twist from total sadness to utter joy momentum. There was no conversation throughout the commercial. movement of his chest as he breath. anxiety. the visuals seem to focus a lot on facial expressions and body language. to emphasize his effort. On the other hand. The shooting illustrated the fear. when the husband died. gloomy cloud and hut are beautiful. the commercial has nice cinematography. somehow heartbreaking to watch.Visual Overall. they focused on the gestures of the husband. little of . Apart from that. The shots of thorny bushes. sad and dazed emotions of the wife. This time with eyes wide opened. explained how shocking it was for the man to come back alive. . The action of hitting their chest further reinforces the pain and grieves they suffered. with mouth wide opened and eyes tightly closed. The face of them crying. expressed the pain of losing someone beloved. In fact. also mouth. by looking into each others‟ eyes blankly when the vermillion refused to come off. even the wife were stunned. They also expressed the feeling of confusion. The scene discontinued and aired a flashback of why and how the vermillion mark became irremovable.facial expressions though. The instant change in everyone‟s expression was dramatic and priceless. the professional mourners. When the man heaves and came back alive. The professional mourners demonstrated sadness through facial expressions and hand gestures. the man himself was surprised. . The refusal indirectly implied that the permanent marker was a better choice as compared to its substitutes. The commercial ends by placing the permanent marker next to an opened vermillion. leading public to further think and compare.The tensed surroundings immediately became tricky when the wife presented the husband vermillion which he refused to use. instead picked up Camlin permanent marker from the box and draw the mark. this commercial incorporated a high angle. This can be seen when the man dies. . There was a full shot of the hut. Apart from that. taking up almost full frame after establishing the surroundings. The rest of the shots were merely middle shots.Point of view The production started off with very wide shot to establish the environment in Rajasthan. but the emphasis still lies on it. The hut was visible barely. anxiety. the director uses both medium close up and close up shots to emphasize on the facial expressions. the shot was taken from a level located above the eyeline. In this commercial. heartbroken. over the shoulder shot. Faces of fear. All the changes in expression were nicely recorded. in which the face fills all or most of the image. looking at the “dead man” from behind of the wife. confused and surprised became visible and the effect magnified as the camera zoomed in. It explained the helplessness among the people. . from mournful to joyful. happiness and humorous. This seems to enhance the sorrowfulness and sadness of situation where death is expected. lighting was really dim. a major twist during the flashback was used to manipulate situation of the surrounding. both outside and inside the hut. However.Color and lighting In the beginning. . Traditionally. bangles hold great value in Hinduism and tradition. Indeed to the Hindu woman. (Gen Wright) Oil lamp was also one of the props used in this advertisement. the bangle is not simply a beautiful ornament. it also symbolizes her womanhood and honor. The rationale behind would be.Details and accessories Emphasis on bangles was obvious in this commercial. It is considered inauspicious for a woman to have bare arms. married Hindu women always weary bangles around their wrists. Thus. Oil lamp often light shrines within Hindu temples and homes. or the Almighty. The light produced by the lamp may illustrate the illumination provided by spiritual insight. Hindus are instructed to light a lamp each day to drive the devil from their homes and invite the light. the presence of divinity or in this case. (Bethney Foster) . it symbolizes the continuation of life. the use of oil lamp further reinforces the Indian culture as majority of them believe in Hinduism.It is believed that oil lamps have represented spirit and spiritual ideas since ancient times. visual and setting was stupendous. rather than solely comparing with its competitors. In most cases. this commercial is a pretty good effort in establishing the unique selling point of Camlin‟s permanent markers. especially when we‟re dealing with cultures and traditions of an ethnic group. script. totally an unexpected twist.Intended and unintended effect The intended effect will be. it automatically raises sensitivity. Personal reaction The commercial has been perfect to pamper impulse buying behavior. due to its cultural content. The background sound. which enables it to grab public‟s attention and retain them. the superb performance of Camlin Permanent Marker as the objectives of this entire commercial was to promote its long-lastingness. . Most importantly. it successfully makes a point – Camlin‟s permanent markers do not wear off. the commercial has successfully drawn out the humor in it during the flashback. the advertisement could be seen as offensive by certain group of public. an advertisement will be associated with some unintended effect due to different perceptions. The ad did not implant shock value through sexual means or social issues. which includes other types of pen. no matter how much effort used. but public scrutiny became inevitable. The ad was very much emotional with a tinge of humour in it. by promoting the permanent marker in expense of vermillion mark represents comparison of the product with its possible substitutes. Nevertheless. This is not an intended or desired impact. It could only be seen as controversial in the eyes of those who have appointed themselves as guardians of public morality. Overall. In this case. This is because the ad itself is high on surprise factor and creativity. Apart from that. who might not think it‟s funny. Retrieved August 29. Retrieved August 29.pdf Camlin Today. 2010 from http://www. 2011 from http://www. 2010.com/about_5373547_oil-lamps-used-religion. 2011 from http://www. Retrieved August 30.com/2010/02/05/camlin-ltd-etches-a-permanent-mark-on-japan2/ . Retrieved August 29.com/content/camlintoday Climate India.indiaprline. 2011 from http://www.ehow.camlin. Camlin Ltd Etches a Permanent Mark on Japan. 2011 from http://www. Why are oil lamps used in religions? Retrieved August 30. 2011 from http://www.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1 34&Itemid=46 Culture of Rajasthan.com/wp/article/bangles-in-hinduism Sarita Patil.html Camlin Annual Report 2010. 2011 from http://www.com/index. Retrieved August 30.camlin. Bangles in Hinduism.royaladventureholidays.com/rajasthan-overview/rajasthan-culture.experiencefestival.swagattours. Retrieved August 30.html Gen Wright.com/sites/default/files/annual_report/AnnualReport2010.References Bethney Foster. APPENDICES .