In the 1970s, the primary media for advertising were print, radio, cinema and outdoor. Cinema ads were seen in Technicolor on a large screen, say of 500 sq. ft., with an effective sound system. It was a time to enjoy the visuals of Old Spice Surfing ad or Karen Lunel’s Waterfall ad for Liril. It was time to exploit the full impact of the big screen, where captive audience was in attendance.
TV appeared later in its rudinentary form — B & W 21-23 inches set. It reached the homes and bedrooms, and became the family medium. It did not have the booming sound of cinema. It cannot project the dramatic shots of waterfall. There could not be panoramic shots, especially on B&W sets. The characters have to communicate with the families on one-to-one basis. Thus ads with good dialogues were shown. We had Lalitaji’s ad for Surf detergent — Surf ki kharidari mein hai samajdari. This was the scenario in the 1980s. In the 1990s, the TV sets became bigger and better. The screen size expanded so as to accommodate panoramic shots. There were ads such as Fevicol bus.
By the 2000’s, there was computerisation everywhere. Laptops were used extensively, and video messages were delivered through them.YouTube videos became popular since 2005. Ads were to be adopted to computer – laptop screen. A laptop is a one-to-one medium, unlike TV which is a family medium. Thus laptop may need subtitling, since in offices the videos are played in law volume. The screen size had shrunk to 13 inches, but the viewer was just two feet away.
By 2015, India became the biggest consumer of video content on the cell phones. A TV ad may not be perfect for a laptop. And a laptop one may not suit a 5-inch cell phone screen. Should brands run one and the same ad across all these screen? Or should they curate for one medium, and let it play on others? Is it necessary to repurpose videos for each individual medium?
Video consumption in India has shifted primarily to cell phones. It means ads will be seen on 5-7 inch screens. The sound will be heard through weak mobile speakers or through headphones. There is going to be a less than one-feet distance at which the mobile phone will be held from the eyes. There will be passive viewing, as the consumer is likely to indulge in other activities while viewing.
Perhaps, it is time to go hyperclose on mobile screens, say ECU. Maybe, there should be the same language subtitling. Panoramic shots of the film era should be kept to the minimum. The whole technique of ad making for the mobile era has to be evolved. What worked in the past may not work now. Colours, characters, music, dialogues and editing — each element must change.
Brands have to think where they would like to optimise – TV, laptop, mobile or cinema.