HPL helps family light up an old man's special day

HPL Group, an electrical equipment company, has launched an ad campaign of which the first film is for its LED lighting products. The TVC has been conceptualised by Underdog Communications. 

 

The ad film begins with an old man doing stretching exercises in the morning as his cell phone beeps. It turns out to be a message from his bank wishing him on his birthday. He anticipates greetings seeing his son and grandson leaving for office and school respectively. They leave without doing so, disappointing the old man. He gets dressed up for the day but neither his daughter in law or his wife wish him. The old man's hopes rise again when the landline phone rings but the same disappointment follows as his granddaughter says it's a credit card company calling. His Facebook page too shows no notifications. His son returns in the evening announcing that they all will have to attend his boss' son's wedding. The old man and the son are the vacant 'wedding venue'. Feigning ignorance, the son asks his father what date it is. The older man responds, clearly miffed. His son wishes him and turns the lights on at the venue, revealing friends and family gathered to celebrate the old man's special day. The ad film ends with images of the celebration. A voice over says, 'Ab roshan ho khushiyaan' (Now let your joys be bright).  

 

Gautam Seth, director, HPL, commented, "LEDs is the future of lighting but we did not want to make that message cold and distant. This is a touching story of a grandfather who is too proud to tell anyone that it’s his birthday and uneasy with the fact that the entire family seems to have forgotten the date. The finale with the fitting support of this heritage brand not only captures his overwhelming relief but even his surprise and happiness in a manner that is grand and befitting."

 

Vikram Gaikwad, founder, Underdog Communications, said, "The category has mostly been doing generic selling and direct product messaging but in this case, it was encouraging to work with a client who bought the idea that resonated best with us as well. We hope our belief will also eventually be shared by the consumer."

 

Vistasp Hodiwala, founder, Underdog Communications, added, "It’s always a responsibility to create communication for a brand that has been around from our dad’s time but few people have heard of. The challenge was not only to give it a modern sensibility but to also impart heritage in communication terms, which it so richly deserved."

 

Underdog Communications has also created the brand identity for HPL Group. The campaign will straddle print, OOH and radio.

 

Credits 

 

Client: HPL India Limited

Agency: Underdog, Mumbai

Production house: Eklaya Motion Arts

Producer: Prashant Gaikwad

Director (film): Parikshit Vaidya

Photographer: Pratim Shankar