Mumbai: Cinema and cricket, the two lifebloods of our country, are often seen as separate realms when it comes to advertisements. Movie stars typically embody their film characters and styles, while cricketers exude their on-field charisma on-screen.
The new Farmley ad films featuring Rahul Dravid have beautifully merged these two worlds – Cricket and Cinema. Famously known as ‘The Wall’ in the cricketing world, Dravid steps into the shoes of an iconic character from the movie ‘Deewar.’ The connection between ‘The Wall’ and ‘Deewar’ has been conveyed through humorous spoofs and Dravid’s charm in these two films, launched by Farmley and Talented.Agency, in collaboration with production house Momo Media.
Although the films garnered attention and established a link with an iconic character, it's Dravid's appearance in boot-cut trousers, a deep blue shirt, and sleek black hair against a rustic backdrop that made these films all the more entertaining.
The film even adds a humorous twist and pays homage to a popular dialogue we all remember: “Mere paas maa hai” from the movie Deewar.
"We knew we had to achieve two things - create a quintessential Rahul Dravid ad and make it unbelievably hilarious.'The Wall' had been on our minds for a while, but it was the craftsmanship, acting, and dialogues that made all the difference," says Talented founding partner Prashant Gopalakrishnan. Farmley head of marketing Aman Gupta shares, "We didn't want to use Rahul as a prop in the end slate like most celebrity-led films. We really wanted to bring his acting, his personality, and wit to the screens."
Over the years, we've seen ads attempting to stand out by infusing a personal touch into celebrity endorsements. However, by featuring Dravid, Farmley and Talented go beyond using just one celebrity and instead harness the power of a celebrity and an iconic character, bringing twice the amount of recall to the films.
"We wanted to show that Rahul can embody a character that was exactly opposite to his own personality, and can still give a terrific performance," said Gopalakrishnan.
We have seen Dravid become ad land's favourite from time to time, but we haven’t seen such contrast in his character and the role he has played in these newest films. As the cricket fever takes its pace with the Asia Cup and the World Cup, we will have an influx of ads that will be centric to cricket and popular culture, but breaking the clutter is easier said than done.
But when you harp on the films that millennials grew up with featuring one of the most loved sports persons of their time, you're sure to get a hit of nostalgia and humour in between the match breaks.
‘The Wall’ becoming ‘Deewar’ will be a treat to see when it hits the screen during this Asia Cup and World Cup.
