A colourful idea!

An amalgamation of creative visualisation, rational justification, and an event that triggers extensive word of mouth, helps the brand communication soar beyond conventional borders

Back in 2004 and 2005, when the television industry was evolving from bulgy, box sized TVs to slim, and chic LCDs, there was a tug between all the major brands to make a mark and be people’s favourite in the new sector. And while everyone was busy bombarding consumers with pixel figures and aspect ratios that bounced off their heads, Sony made a statement without even saying a thing…

It shot thousands of colourful bouncy balls on a known street, added a nice background score and made people go gaga over the spot. After having released iconic campaigns like ‘You make it a Sony’ and ‘Like no other’, Sony decided to make a statement pegging on the value its product gives to the common man.

Bringing the brands key product features of sharper picture quality, and quick processing, and tagging it to the thing Sony is most known for – Feels-like-life colour – the brand came up with a two-and-a-half minute film that went on to win the Gold Lion at the Cannes in 2006.

Reinforcing the individual nature of the LCD line and bringing out the uniqueness, while still avoiding the jargon-like-communication, agency Fallon did a wonderful execution of the given brief. In those two-and-a-half minutes, they owned the brand.

While the stress point was to highlight the fact that Bravia had the best colours, the positioning was to appeal to consumers on an emotional level. Applying the classic marketing method of demonstrating quality, Fallon decided to test the colours on Bravia.

So yes, it decided to capture thousands (2,50,000 to be precise) of colourful bouncy balls flying swiftly on the streets of California. The result was a heart melting film with a soothing background score by Swedish singer José González. Titled ‘Balls’, the film created an affinity among the target group. ‘Balls’ was such an ad that could turn a person, who is not even remotely looking for a new TV, think of purchasing a Sony Bravia.

And to demonstrate the ‘Colour like no other’ quality of Sony Bravia, the film was aired (on the Sony Bravia itself) on loop at major subways and other public places. And despite being premium in pricing than the competitors, Sony Bravia managed to rule the market; because it was way ahead of the competitors in both technology and positioning…

What made the film even more famous was the fact that each frame of the vibrantly colourful film was shot on camera, and no visual effects were used in the ad, whatsoever.

Also the locals of the street who saw the making of the advert were so mesmerised with the event of the day that they started sharing the ad aggressively on social media channels.

Unprecedented word of mouth and great ideation did come a long way in making Sony Bravia stand out among the rest.