The Cadbury ‘Kuch Kas hai hum sabhi mai’ ad is not the first remake case, but it is the first one with an apparent role reversal that has led to a huge buzz. Now, many brands would be asking a question, if their archives hols such opportunities?
REMAKES ARE NOT NEW.
Remakes are not new. Social media is full of remakes. How it started, how it is going. Twenty years same set of people re-enacting a scene. Films have been remade and recrafted to the new context and geographies, so have the advertisements. In the case of ads, logically, the iconic-epic ads get remade. However, most of them use the same cast or effect and are not fresh enough.
BUDWEISER REMAKE.
Budweiser, a brand known for its super bowl ads– remade its ad from the 50s with #SeeHer for International Women’s Day. In this case, the women portrayed in the original ads now had more balanced and empowered roles under the themes of independence, equality, and fulfilment.
MONSTER.COM SPOOF – A REMAKE.
Sometimes creative teams and external audiences spoof an ad for a topical tactical gain. This was the case when the iconic 1999 ad of Monster.com was used to create an ad aiming to stop Trump from getting the second term. Watch the spoof ad here.
PARTIAL REMAKES.
Like above, sometimes the cause is a noble one. And we all watched and admired Cindy Crawford Recreates Iconic Pepsi Ad of 1992 For Cancer Research and, in 2018, a cameo in the Pepsi ad.
REPURPOSED REMAKE.
Or you don’t remake but repurpose the communication. Like TD Bank (ad titled Dancer ) from service went to ask people bank from home. Watch the repurposed ad.
REMAKES A CONTINUITY.
In the Indian context, NIRMA, AMBHUJA CEMENT, LIRIL have been remade so many times. And there has been not much of a tremor. They just went into a long-running campaign.
GENDER REVERSAL REMAKE.
Then Cadbury happened. It took the iconic ad Kuch Khas Hai hum sabhi mai … Zindagi mai with role/gender change of the main cast (I am trying not to use role reversed). The cricketer became a girl and the friendly spectator appreciating the game- a Sardar. By now, the new ad has been compared to the old in multiple forums. There are blogs, news, and clubhouse where the recent remake of the Cadbury ad has been analysed for the story, purpose, context, and hidden message.
OPPORTUNITY IN ARCHIVES.
The social media jokes and memes started discussing which brand ads would one want to see remade and which one would want no one to try remaking. It is a tough one. A question that is subjective and full of false interpretation. And the more you think about it, the more you vacillate. Here are some that I think would / could do with a fresh remake, not necessarily with just the role reversal- but just recontextualising and repurposing. While trying to do so, I realised how the recency of communication impacts you.
So, I agree with many who think that the current remake of the Cadbury ad is relevant to people who remember the original. The young crowd see it as one of the millions of ads- good- feel good- nothing excellent.
BLACK COFFEE, PLEASE.
First on the list – ERICSSON ONE BLACK COFFE. This was a brilliant one. A lot has changed in consumer behaviour or how they use mobile. Now the screen size matters. The privacy of a small phone is not sought. What messages can this be infused with? And what happens with the gender role reversal.
LALITAJEE RELEVANT TODAY.
An ad that is relevant today. LALITAJEE Surf ad would work in the new price-value conscious consumer. With the WFH lifestyle, even a remake with gender change would be appreciated.
ROLE and GENDER REVERSAL IS NEEDED.
Cadbury dairy Milk Silk ad of the boy holding an umbrella for the girl- and that could do with a gender role reversal. An area that should be changing. Is this Cadbury ad ready for role reversal?
GENDER REVERSAL IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR THE BRAND.
ANOUK had a series of Bold and Beautiful ads in a series. The brand may not be an apt place for the role reversal. Can some brands do the ANOUK with role reversal?
TOO EARLY FOR GENDER REVERSAL.
For another brilliant ad- maybe we are not yet there- but it could do with a younger version with rile reversal. SBI insurance ad.
RELIGION REVERSAL.
When you look for the remake, it is possible to go wild with imagination and possibilities. What if gender or religion was reversed in the Tanishq ad, trolled for all its worth- and will Tanishq then be spared public criticism?
GENDER SENSITIVITY FROM YOUNG AGE.
Maybe the ad – DAG AACHE HAI is perfect for the role reversal. The elder sister is protecting, the younger brother or even, the elder brother.
NO TO REMAKE.
There is a host of brand ads where one would hate any remake or remake with gender reversal. One will hate to see a remake of Liril original 1985 ad but may welcome one with a fresh model without much tinkering to the original. Ads like SRK LUX ad, Akshay Kumar Harpic, AXE, FOG are not a candidate for remake in any way and format.
And then the Airtel BOSS film cannot be role reversed- as the ad itself is role reversed. If I was to say – let the old original remain untouched, be inspired, don’t remake, rehash the whole thing.
When the context has changed, and the world has moved on from the earlier communication problem, think afresh and think different. In the case of Cadbury, it had the first-mover advantage. The rest will be followers. And no one looks up to followers.
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In case you have yet not seen the original Cadbury ad- here it is
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Let me know if there is an ad from the past that is interesting enough for a relevant remake with gender/role reversal.
BLOG/060/2021.
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