This happens rarely in Indian advertising – an ad film was premiered in London amidst a bevy of celebrities. The film – for Kerala Tourism and directed by Prakash Varma of Nirvana Films is ‘aimed at a global audience of experience seekers’ says Dr. V Venu, Secretary of Kerala Tourism.
I was waiting for something to happen as I sat through the film…something big, something interesting. But that was not to be. Maybe I am biased given the work on Incredible India by the same film maker. Most tourism ads for countries attempt to showcase the country with breathtaking visuals. Dr Venu is right in saying: ‘the film is cinematic in style, is sophisticated and highly emotive. It is not the traditional slide-show of pretty pictures of places and people’. Remember the Baz Luhrmann directed, Walkabout commercial for Tourism Australia? That wasn’t a pretty picture too – but didn’t work me (as a potential tourist).
Maybe the new Kerala Tourism ad will work for the UK, France & Germany audience for whom this will be full of mystique and intrigue. The music has a haunting quality about it too. What say?
7 Comments
Agree with most of your comments. It is different and has a sense of mystique and intrigue. I personally think the colours(green, backwaters, sea) of Kerala could have been better captured, there are parts which look like African Savanah. Hope it works wonders for the tourism industry!
For someone not indulged in Kerala, the place might come across as weird, unsettled and scary. Might evoke a few epiphany/mystique seekers.
I was desperately waiting for the ad to pick up some pace, but it didn't. I haven't seen any reactions from any Europeans. Surely not a Kerala that I would want to go to, but I'm not the one who they are advertising to. Eerie, weird maybe but definitely no longer God's own country 🙁
when i first saw the ad, my reaction was " wow, looks like an international ad". The ad is made for the international crowd and as you rightly said aims at creating intrigue and mystique. as a keralite, I find this ad failing to capture the essence of kerala. How ever , the treatment is different and breaks the usual visuals of backwaters and kathakali.
Definitely not Kerala. This ad is another hoodwink. Depicted like a wierd, scary, primitive village.
the kerala tourism ad is a direct copy of the mexico tourism ad. see the ads below. shame!!
kerala tourism:
Mexico tourism:
Pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically makes a wonderful holiday.