10/16/2014 ShockAdvertisingInIndia|Marketingbloggers

http://marketingbloggers.in/2013/01/18/shockadvertisinginindia/ 1/3
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ShockAdvertisingInIndia
byFayazonJan18th,20132Comments
ABSTRACT:
Shockadvertising,thebrainchildoftheItalianclothingcompanyBenetton,whoseadvertisementscarriedexplicit
socialandpoliticalmessages.CriticspraisedBenettonforitscreativeinitiativebutattimesitwasatthereceivingend
too.Shockadvertisementsdifferfromtraditionaladvertisementsinthattheycreatebothpositiveandnegativeimpact.
WhileshockadvertisementsprevailedintheWesterncountriesduringthelastdecade,weIndiansarenotmuch
exposedtoit.Thepresenceofveryfewshockadvertisementsandtheneedformarketerstofindwaystoovershadow
theircompetitors,favorstheexploitationofshockadsonalargerscaleinIndianmarkets.ButtheperceptionofIndians
differscompletelyfromthatoftheWesterners.Henceaneedarisestotailortheseadvertisementstocatertothetarget
audience.
INTRODUCTION:
AccordingtoastudyconductedbythemarketresearchfirmYankelovich,thereportofwhichwaspublishedinNew
YorkTimesinJanuary2007,eachdayapersonlivinginacitygetsexposedto5000advertisements.Henceitis
necessaryforanadvertisementtobedifferentfromtheusualtograspapersonsattention.Accordinglyshock
advertisementsjoltyououtofyoursensesandthensuccessfullypinyourattentiondown.Itemploysthedeliberate
useofshockfactorslikenudity,violationofsocietalnorms,sexualreferences,disturbingimagesandprovocative
politicalmessagestoattracttheaudiencetoaparticularbrandortobringawarenessaboutasocialcauseorahealth
issue.
FewofthefamousadsofBenetton,thepioneerinshockadvertisingincludeTheBenettonbabyad,UNHATE
campaignandAnAIDSpatientonhisdeathbed.Whilehailedfortakingupastandagainstuntouchedsocialcauses
anddreadfuldiseases,italsoreceivedthewrathofpoliticalandreligiousleadersfortheadswhichfeaturedpicturesof
thesesleaders.ShockAdvertisementinadditiontosalesoftheproduct,incitepublicdebateanddialogueonarange
ofissuesandfosterpositivenotionsofidentityandcitizenship.AnexampleofwhichistheBenettonsadvertisement
whichdepictedablackwomenbreastfeedingawhitebaby.Theadvertisementwasdevoidofanytaglinesbutthe
picturewassufficienttodepictthestandagainstracism.OntheotherhandoneofBenettonsadvertisementscarrieda
bloodiednewbornbabyattachedtoitsumbilicalcordandcoveredinmucous.Thisadvertisementcausedmorethan
800complaintstobereportedtotheBritishAdvertisingStandardsAuthorityduring1991anditfeaturedinthe
referencebookGuinnessWorldRecords2000asMostControversialAdCampaign.
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10/16/2014 ShockAdvertisingInIndia|Marketingbloggers
http://marketingbloggers.in/2013/01/18/shockadvertisinginindia/ 2/3
SUPERETTEisaNewZealandbasedclothingcompany,thetaglineofwhichisBecaughtdeadinit.Thepostersof
thecompanygowiththetagline,whichshowsayounggirlcaughtdeadonafencewearingthestylishclothesofthe
brand.Thoughtheadreflectedthetagline,itshockedthecustomersbythewayitwasportrayed.
FewotherplayersinthefieldapartfromBenettonincludereputedcompanieslikeFCUK,CalvinKleinjeans,Diesel
andorganizationslikePETA.ShockadsaremostlyemployedbyNGOstoexplicitlyconveysocialmessages.
EXISTINGSHOCKADVERTISEMENTSININDIAANDTHEIRIMPACT:
Whatifyouhappentoseeayoungmanlosehislifeinadreadfulaccidentinfrontofyoureyeswhileyouarespeeding
inyourbiketowork?Thesceneoftheaccidentwilldauntyouthewholedayorpossiblyforthenextcoupleofdays.In
factnexttimewhenridingyourbikeyouwillhesitatetocrossthespeedlimits.Thisisbecauseoftheimpactthatthe
accidenthascreatedinyou.AsimilarscenariowasusedbytheBangaloreTrafficPoliceinitsadcampaignDonttalk
whilehedrives.
Theadsshoweddisturbingimageswithbloodsplashingthroughthephone.Theseadvertisementsweredifferentfrom
thenormalinthattheywerefromtheperspectiveofthepersonwhoisspeakingonphonewiththeonewhoisdriving.
Thustheseadvertisementsgrabbedtheattentionofthepublicnotjustbydisplayofshockfactorsbutalsobyshowing
thingsinawholenewperspective.
AnotherexampleofuseofshockadvertisementinIndiaintherecenttimesisbyCEATTyres.Theadvertisementwas
notjustintendedtopromotethequalityofthetyresbutalsocampaignedagainstrashdriving,aviolationofsocietal
norms.
Shockadvertisementswithoutaconcretethemeorpurposecanendupinsoup.In1995,MilindSomanandMadhu
SapreanexMissIndiaandmodel,posednudewearingonlyshoesandapythonwrappedaroundtheminaprint
advertisementforTuffShoes.Consequentlythetwomodels,photographers,distributorsandpublishersoftheadwere
registeredunderacasebytheMumbaipolice.
ClearlytheTuffshoesadvertisementwasafantasywhereastheshockadvertisementbytheBangaloreTrafficpolice
wasareality.
THEROADAHEAD:
Everycompanytriestostandoutfromthecrowdgiventheamountofcompetitionintodaysbusinessenvironment.Be
itgoodorbad,positiveornegativeeverycompanystriveshardtobenoticedandtomakeheadlines.Theydontwant
theircompanysnametobeforgotteninahurry.Thekeyistocreateabuzzamongpeopleandshockadvertisements
arehereforthat.Theymakepeopletobemoreawareofabrandandtheadvertisementsleveragethecustomers
abilitytoretainthebrandintheirmemoryforanextendedperiod.TilldateweIndianshaveonlybeenusedtothe
traditionaladvertisementswhichdepicttheglamorous,pleasurable,andfantasticimagesofpeople,situationsand
places,andpromisehappiness,beauty,funandthelikeasaresultofproductuse.Itrequiresagreatdealof
innovationanddistinctionfromthefellowplayersinthemarkettoreachouttothecustomers.Thusbyusingshock
advertisingstrategiestheycannotonlypromotetheirproducts,butalsocanpassstrongsocialmessagetothe
commonmen.Thismakesitscustomerstobetterrelatetotheproductanditresultsinincreasedrecallcapacityofthe
product.Themorerealisticanadvertisementis,theeasieritbecomestorelatetoit.
GiventhattheculturalandreligioussensitivitiesofIndiansdifferfromrestoftheworld,itisverycrucialthattheshock
advertisementsshouldbemodifiedtosuittheIndiancommunity.Forinstanceanadvertisementforcreating
awarenessaboutsafesexpracticeswillnotcreatemuchstiramongawesterner.WhereasinmostIndianfamiliessuch
advertisementsarestillconsideredtopossessexualcontentandtheentiremessageislost.Buttodaybecauseofwide
spreadeducationandglobalexposuretheperceptionofpeoplehaschanged.Alsothankstotheviolenceand
obscenitybeingcelebratedbytheIndianfilmindustry.AgoodexampleisthenewReebok(Reetone)advertisement
thathasbeenacceptedbytheIndiansandtherehasnotbeenanycomplaintorprotesttilldate.Eventhenwhen
dealingwithIndianmarketsitsessentialtoensurethattheseadvertisementsdonthurtthesensitivitiesofIndiansas
theyaredeeplyrooted.
Thuscleverlyexecutedshockadvertisements,usedonceinawhilecanincreasethesalesofthecompany.Butwhen
usedoften,thecustomersgetusedtotheelementofshockandtheywillfailtocreateanimpact.Thisfurthergivesrise
totheneedtomaintainaperfectblendoftraditionaladvertisementsandshockadvertisementstokeepthecustomers
interested.
CONCLUSION:
10/16/2014 ShockAdvertisingInIndia|Marketingbloggers
http://marketingbloggers.in/2013/01/18/shockadvertisinginindia/ 3/3
2014Marketingbloggers.Allrightsreserved. WordPressThemedesignedbyThemeJunkie
Tags:Advertisements,Advertising,MarketingStrategy,ShockAdvertising,strategies
ShockadvertisementsarelikeDoubleedgedswordandcompaniesmustbewaryaboutitsuse.Whenused
appropriatelytheygiveanedgeoverthecompetitorsandwhenmishandledleadstothelossofbrandimage.Given
theamountofopportunityforshockadvertisementsinIndianmarketsthefuturelooksbrighter.Companiesmustfocus
onpromotingrealisticadvertisementsratherthanpromoteadsthatareintendedjustforpublicstunt.Withshock
advertisementscustomizedtomeettheneedsofthetargetcustomers,thewordofmouththattheadscreatecanbeof
immenseusetoincreasethesalesoftheproductandalsotoenablecompaniestoimpartsocialawarenesstothe
masses.
ThearticleisauthoredbySaiGautham&MariaStephenfromDMSPondicherryUniversity.
Ifyouwishtowriteforusthenkindlycheckthis.
Fayaz
2Comments
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Youmustbeloggedintopostacomment.
arvindkumar January20,2013at5:02pm
reallyshockedafterreadingthisshockadvertisingarticleInmyopiniongov.shouldusethiskindof
advertisingstrategymoreandmore(sameasthatbloodcomingoutfrommobiles)inordertoaware
peopleoftheirfaultsandtograbtheirattention.
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Saumil February15,2013at9:57pm
NonoforsuchAdsinIndia
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