CEAT's tyres get monsoon-ready

The 'Monsoon Smart' campaign asks riders to stop blaming roads and focus on tyres with good grip from its stable

Monsoon brings with it a new set of challenges for the Indian motorist. More so for two-wheeler rider. Be it the first flush or a downpour, two-wheelers often lose their grip and skid on wet roads, putting the riders' lives in danger. CEAT, which had come up with its clutter-busting 'The road is full of idiots' campaign a few years back, is continuing in a similar vein to underline the dangers on the road, this time, for riders in monsoon, with its new ad. Albeit, it revolves around CEAT's All Season tyre, which is supposed to provide a superior grip on the road.

"We had given a simple brief on developing an innovative and youthful creative to own the 'superior wet grip' benefit during monsoon for the CEAT All Season tyre. Monsoon is like an acid test for its wet grip; hence, we had to use it as a backdrop for the campaign," says Prabhakar Tiwari, general manager, marketing, CEAT.

The 30-seconds TVC charts a rider on a bike with tyres which are not from CEAT, losing his grip. He falls, only to invite ridicule from passers-by. In the next cut, we are shown a CEAT tyre user manoeuvring around traffic, potholes and even children, who suddenly come in his path. He, of course, manages to dodge and keep his balance. The voice-over reminds, 'Monsoon shouldn't change the way one look at roads. Be monsoon-smart'.

Although, this line of tyres is not a new launch from CEAT's stable, but the new campaign will be used to highlight the durability and usability of the tyre all-year-round - literally, in rain or shine.

"We have been doing the 'idiot on the road' campaign for some time now. But during monsoon, many a times, we notice the blame for mishaps being shifted to potholes and water-logging. But grip on the road has always been CEAT's forte. So we decided to focus on the point of view of the rider himself," says Anup Chitnis, executive creative director, Ogilvy Mumbai, which created the campaign. However, CEAT is likely to get back to its 'idiot on the road' campaign after monsoon.

The company is planning a digital extension of the campaign, as well as on-ground activities. The outreach will comprise activities such as tyre check-up camps and a demo tool to showcase the wet-grip tyre and its benefits.

"The digital campaign is not just about amplification of our current TVC, but to get into the consideration set of bikers who are looking to change their tyres during the monsoon. The 'Monsoon Smart' campaign is about changing to a better set of wet-grip tyres from CEAT and having fun with confidence during monsoon," mentions Tiwari.

Speaking about the campaign, Jagdeep Kapoor, chairman and managing director of Samsika, the marketing consultancy, says, "I think it is a practical and pragmatic campaign. It will be effective, as the scenarios shown in the TVC are experienced by us in our daily lives. Therefore, people will be able to relate to it. CEAT has always been known for its impactful campaigns. This one is no different. It will serve a dual purpose - re-inforcing its image and increasing its sales".