Selling Intex TV like PC

A new campaign by Intex focuses on the 'smartness' of its product rather than conveying a routine message on television features

In a highly competitive product category like LED television, consumers have been long used to advertisements claiming the best of a product’s features around pet concerns such as sound, colour and screen size. Home-grown brand Intex does much of the same in a television commercial for its new smart TVs, except that it sells a TV as if it were a computer.
 
The TVC features actor Boman Irani as a homeowner engrossed in his television set in a dark room at night, even as two thieves break in. The thieves are immediately struck by the quality of what is playing on the screen and they sit down next to the man of the house. The oblivious man explains to them it’s a smart TV with great features around storage space, processor and motion sensor gaming, etc. As he turns to play a mobile video game on the TV screen, he senses trouble, but the thieves tie him up with a tape. As they pull the TV, the duo spot a speaker and one wishes Diwali greetings to the other.
 

Hemant Misra, brand lead of Publicis, the creative agency behind the campaign, says that the challenge was positioning the new TV in a highly competitive marketplace, where product features are roughly the same with possibly faring marginally better or worse than competition. “If you watch the entire smart TV communication, the top six-seven brands only talk features and they are around picture and sound. There is nobody who does non-feature-based communication,” he says, adding that consumers are well aware of brands but they need to make a choice while knowing which features titillate them. The creative team looked at the product as a smart TV and not just a television.
 

A typical consumer today needs strong post-rationalisation which also strengthens loyalty, according to Misra, an insight that holds true for any competitive market. “The moment the purchase happens, there are six others telling you how you could have bought better. This is why the features we include in this commercial are actually those of a computer,” he says.
 

Keshav Bansal, director, Intex Technologies, says while consumers are aware of the LED TV brand, the aim with the campaign was to move up a level and create a lasting impact in their minds. “We have always been known for state-of-the-art and technologically advanced products that are available at pocket-friendly prices.” Highlighting innovative technologies or features, and communicating them in an entertaining way has been a common theme for Intex across product categories. In addition to that, Bansal points out that Intex was the first mobile phone brand to showcase the product price at the end of a commercial. The company follows the same approach across categories.
 
With this product, aimed primarily at men in the 25-30 age group, the leading Indian brand aims to reach a sales target of 1.5 lakh units in six months, from one lakh last month. In September 2016, it sold 70,000 units, says Bansal.
 
Khatija Beguwala, creative director, Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi, rates the TVC five out of 10. “The thieves sneaking in to the house and the unperturbed owner remind me immediately of the classic Godrej Security ads, which were a lot more charming. I don’t dislike it because it was nice that a TV commercial went down the comedy route while still keeping the product’s benefits upfront. But I wish the humour was subtle and not over the top.”