Fastrack : How many you have ?

Brand : Fastrack
Company : Titan
Agency : Lowe Lintas

Brand Analysis Count : 320

Two years back when I wrote about Titan watches, I had mentioned Fastrack brand as a sub-brand of

Titan. Now this sub-brand has grown to become a fully

independent brand. Fastrack was launched in 1998. The brand was aimed at the youth segment (15-
25). The brand was promoted with the slogan "Cool Watches from Titan "

Essentially Fastrack was a sub-brand endorsed by the Titan Brand. In most of the campaigns , the
brand was promoted as Titan Fastrack. The brand was targeting young consumers who was moving
towards the competitor Timex. It was during this time that Timex and Titan parted ways.

Fastrack had a good start . during the first year, the brand clocked a turnover of Rs 15 crore. The
good run continued till 2001-2002 and the brand was worth Rs 25 crore at that period. But the sales
stagnated. Although the brand appealed to the youngsters, price was significant dampener.The
brand found that the target group which consisted of college students could not afford this brand.
( source : Business Standard)

During 2003-04, the brand went in for a repositioning exercise targeting executive segment aswellas
casual watch segment. It was a suicidal experiment . The brand sales came down to Rs 23 crore. The
change in positioning did not fit well with the brand. The consumers were not willing to pay Rs 1200-
2700 for a watch that did not have the executive image.

It was in 2004 that Fastrack launched its range of sunglasses. The move was made after a consumer
research which shoed that mobiles/deo/sports shoes and sunglasses are popular accessories in the
purchase list of youngsters. And Sunglasses fitted perfectly as a brand extension for Fastrack. In my
personal view, sunglasses offered a great opportunity for the brand. There was no Indian brand of
sunglasses at that time. The brands available was Ray-Ban and other foreign brands which were
imported. These brands was damn expensive and often consumers chose local unbranded
sunglasses.

In 2005, the brand went for another repositioning exercise with a new logo and new positioning. The
brand adopted the famous break-away positioning of Swatch. The brand decided to target the
youngsters again but for that the brand had to break the price barrier.
The brand discarded the steely look of the watches and looked at a mix of plastic and steel. It was a
perfect cut-copy from the strategy adopted by Swatch . By doing so, the brand was able to reduce
the price range to Rs 500.

The brand then took the help of advertising to change the perception of watches as a functional tool
to a fashion accessory. The brand launched a campaign with the slogan " How many you have ".

The campaign , the positioning and the price was a great hit . The brand sales zoomed to Rs 35 crore.
The sunglasses also contributed significantly to this sales boost.
Fastrack have adopted the following core brand values

Fashionable and trendy

Affordable Pricing
Fresh Communication to attract the young consumers. The brand wanted to be the ultimate fashion
accessory for the youth.

For the sunglasses, the brand roped in the youth icon John Abraham as the brand ambassador. The
celebrity fitted well with the brand. Taking a cue from the fact that most of the TG for Fastrack
owned a bike, Fastrack launched a biker's collection which again is a classic example of consumer-
centric product innovation.
The latest innovation is the neon - disc range of Fastrack watches that does not have Hands to show
the time but have electroluminescent disc that lits up to show the time.

Another advantage for this brand is the freshness that the agency had bought in its communication.
Most of the Fastrack ads has been refreshing. The brand had adopted a 360 degree approach in its
communication and it is an example of a brand which had used Social media to its advantage.
Watch some of the Fastrack campaigns here : Fastrack

But the brand is facing a grave issue in the market. The issue is not regarding the branding but with
the channels. In the case of Swatch, the brand had adopted an innovative approach towards the
channels. According to the Harvard Case Study on Swatch, it is mentioned that Swatch launched a
Veggie range of watches ( it had shapes of vegetables ) and this range was sold in vegetable shops.
But in the case of Fastrack, the brand had not gained the support of the channel members.The
channel does not support both sunglasses and watches. The above observation is from my personal
experience. In the case of watches, except for Titan exclusive showrooms, other watch retailers does
not stock the full range of Fastrack watches and neither they offer spares like straps. I went to
replace the strap of my Fastrack but had to be satisfied with one which was local made and that
does not fit with the design. The retailer to whom I went was a premium dealer of watches and he
said that the reason for not stocking Fastrack is that the design changes very fast.
For Fastrack sunglasses, the retailers are the usual opticians. I found ( in my city) that either these
retailers does not stock the sunglasses or are not interested in selling . The reason they say is that
Titan is trying to sell the sunglasses in stores other than opticians. Hence opticians are not interested
in selling this brand. The fact is that 90 % of Sunglasses sales happen with Opticians.
Fastrack had tried to explore new channel for its sunglasses range. I have seen a couple of lifestyle
stores displaying the range. But when I wanted to buy a specific model, I did not find that in any of
the store. I had to go to the online store and buy the glass.
No brand can escape the channel conflict when it tries to explore a new channel . In the case of
Fastrack, it is facing resistance from the conventional channel when the brand tried to explore new
channel.

It is a nightmare for any brand manager to handle the issues connected with a brand like Fastrack.
One one hand, the brand have to keep the consumer interest growing by launching new models and
also updating cool communication . One the other hand, the frequent design changes calls for
intense dealer support . The low price for the watches often translates to low margin to retailers
thus dampening their enthusiasm for promoting this brand. The brand is trying to workaround this
issue through its online store but the fact is that online cannot replace the conventional channel
atleast in the immediate future.

Despite these issues, the brand has been a hit with young consumers. I noticed this brand in the
wrist of most of my students . Once I asked a question to my students whether Fastrack watches are
'cheap ' ?To my surprise, none of the students think that Fastrack is cheap despite its ' cheap ' price.
They corrected me that Fastrack is affordable and not cheap. That is a great achievement for a brand
which has a price range which starts with Rs 500 but still is not considered cheap. The brand had
successfully established itself as a fashion accessory rather than as a watch. My personal experience
as a consumer for both watch and sunglasses is positive. The brand has not compromised on quality.

The brand need to sort the distribution strategy to move into the next level. Swatch also faced the
issue of retailer resistance initially but the equity generated by the brand eclipsed the resistance.
Fastrack also should be able to build the brand into a level where retailers have to stock this brand
due to consumer pressure

India's youth accessory brand Fastrack has gone the celebrity way. The latest series of campaign for
Fastrack bags is featuring the brand ambassadors - cricketer Virat Kohli and actress Genelia. I think
this is the first time that Fastrack has chosen to have celebrity endorsement as a part of the brand
strategy.

In my earlier update, I have mentioned that Fastrack has extended itself into accessories like Bags,
wallets and belts. The brand also went into retailing by launching exclusive Fastrack stores. The
current campaign is the first for accessory and the brand has chosen to promote 'bags' in this
campaign.
The brand has rightly identified a need for a branded bag targeting the youth. Currently the market
is dominated by unorganized sector and a branded bag priced competitively and marketed properly
is certainly a good idea.

Although I am principally against brand extensions, Fastrack extending into the bag segment will
open up new opportunities of the brand although at the cost of diluting the primary product line -
Fastrack Watches.

The brand is currently running a series of campaign featuring Virat Kohli and Genelia.

Watch the campaigns here : Fastrack lovemark

Fastrack Airport ad

Fastrack ATM Ad

I was shocked at seeing the ATM ad and found it very very bold especially in the Indian
context.Frankly I never expected such an Ad theme from Fastrack.

I am getting old and my understanding of Indian youth and their psyche is becoming outdated but I
think Fastrack is moving little too much on the theme of " Move On ". The current campaign is giving
an impression that " Move On " means only flirting and fleeting physical relationships. That
interpretation will hurt the brand in the long run.

I understand that such kinds of relationships happen in campuses and encounters happen in dark
corridors but that cannot be projected as the psyche of youth. Youth have an irreverent attitude
towards life and are keen to experiment on everything including relationships. I hope that Fastrack
will be careful and desist from narrowly interpreting " Move On " theme.

"Move On " as a theme has lot of creative potential beyond flirting relationship. There are other
sides of this concept which is much more sticky and can take the brand to iconic status. Hope that
the creative team will consider an holistic approach in this positioning.
Another interesting development for Fastrack is that the brand launched a sub-brand called Fastrack
Denim.

Watch the ad here : Fastrack Denim

It is interesting to see Fastrack which was launched as a sub-brand of Titan becoming a full fledged
independent brand and then having a sub-brand on its own.

Now looking at the logic of having a sub-brand Denim. I think Fastrack is looking at Sub-brand like
Denim to cater to the lower-price points. If you notice, Fastrack brand ( primary brand) has been
moving higher in terms of the prices. It started off in the range of Rs 500 and above and later moved
over to Rs 1000 and above. Now Fastrack Denim range is priced at Rs 500 and above. So using the
sub-brand , Fastrack is protecting its lower-price Flank from attack from competitors. Other than this
I do not see any need or relevance of such a sub-brand.

Fastrack has recently launched a new campaign based on its new positioning " Move On " .The latest
campaign comes in two version - His Story and Her Story

Watch the commercial here : His Story

Watch the commercial here : Her Story

The new ads are an extension of the Move On positioning of the

brand. The brand is based on the current psyche of youth .The premise of the new positioning is that
Indian Youth tend to be very "detached " in their relationships.

The new campaign has taken this premise to a new level. While the previous campaign was based on
a romance break up , the new campaign goes deeper than just flirting.

The ad is definitely interesting and the two versions makes it more interesting. The younger crowd is
going to enjoy it .

How ever the question is whether the brand is taking the Move On concept a bit too far. It is true
that such kind of dating and experiments happen and the debate is still there as to whether such a
kind of indulgence is to be encouraged or not.

I am not a moral advocate or a Srirama sena member !!! . I personally believe that it is the choice of
an individual to live the life he/she wants provided it is within the social framework.
It may be true that the younger generation are non-committal in their relationship. It is also true that
there is a trend of irreverence and " take it or leave it " attitude prevalent among the urban youth
community.

But the question is whether a brand like Fastrack should align with such a trend ?

Read the perspective of Adman Lakshmipathy Bhatt here .

There is nothing immoral or unethical in the new TVC. But I personally feel that such a trend among
the new generation is not something that should be celebrated.

"Gotta get rid of him " and " Who s next " seems too extreme for me ( conservative as Iam). How
ever I am sure that the youth will love it .

Titan Fastrack Watches in India

Titan watches , the major Indian watchmaker embarked on the fashion watches category with the
launch of the Titan Fastrack watches in the year 1998. As the ever changing fashion industry
influenced the watch industry during this era, Titan watches came up with the stylish and trendy Titan
Fastrack watches collection.

Extraordinarily innovative technology coupled with a fresh sense of style in the Titan Fastrack watches
became an instant rage especially with youths. In the Titan portfolio it is believed to contribute a 4%
value. Significant rise in Titan Fastrack watches sales has subsequently compelled Titan to establish
it as a separate brand. Here are a few popular Titan Fastrack watches collection available:

Titan Fastrack Womens Watches

The Titan Fastrack watches for women has been aimed at boasting its presence in the women's
segment of the watch market. The collection of Fastrack watches has been targeted for women aged
18-30. It is a fashion brand to match the aspirations of women who would want an Espirit but at an
affordable price. The trendy collection of women's watches in 20 styles showcases the latest in
international design and materials. Priced between Rs 995-1,950, Titan is positioning the range as an
accessory for the fashion-conscious woman.

Titan Fastrack Campus Watches

With the Titan Fastrack Campus watches collection, the leading youth fashion brand, has set a unique
fashion trend. This unique collection has the following interesting features and styles that include
washable velcro straps with inbuilt analogue compass. The collection consists of a carabineer-watch
designed to change the definition of a watch as a wrist accessory.

The Titan Fastrack Campus watches have been inspired from mountaineering and rock climbing gear.
This watch hangs from the belt loop with carabineer clasp. The crystal guard on the men's watches
protects the glass and the case. And last but not the least, the dials have patterned luminescent ink fill
on the dials allowing you to see the time even in the dark. This collection has 7 cases (14 variants) in
vibrant colors, asymmetrical shapes and bold features. Price ranges from Rs.1095 to Rs.1750.
 Titan Fastrack XY Watches
The Titan Fastrack XY watches collection, as the name suggests has been designed for the youths.
With this collection, Fastrack, the definite youth brand of fashion accessories present an opportunity
to consumers to sport a funky look.

The Fastrack XY Collection of watches, with its range of trendy designs for guys and girls makes for a
distinctive style statement in itself. The watches also make excellent gifts. Priced between Rs. 500
and Rs. 1995 the watches are available at World of Titan showrooms and multi-brand outlets across
the country.

Titan Fastrack Neon Disc Watches

The Titan Fastrack Neon disc range of watches has been inspired by night clubbing and
discotheques. It gives existing technology of Electro-Luminescence (EL), an interesting twist; making
it the first analog watches collection sans HANDS!

The collection is unique in that it uses NO HANDS to show the time! Instead, two concentric aluminum
discs, representing the hour and the minute, show the time with the help of markers cut out on the
discs. Time telling is aided with a NEON [Electro-Luminescent (EL)] sheet that lights up through the
cutouts, on the push of a button.

This design innovation is the first of its kind in India. The collection, featuring exciting options for both
guys and girls, has over 20 styles. Prices range from Rs. 1195 to Rs. 2195.

The Titan Fastrack collection of watches with contemporary styles is definitely for the young and the
trendy generation. The designs go from the relaxed and informal to the definitely sporty. The woman's
collection presents the all new international 'Frosted' look, which is trendy and chic. The Fastrack
collection has elements like cool mesh straps and features that include EL back-light and dual time.
Go for a Fastrack and be a trendsetter!

http://knol.google.com/k/titan-s-brand-building-and-brand-reorganisation-strategy#

User positioning:
   Titan caters to several user groups- children (the Dash), sportspersons and adventurers
(PSI4000 and Fastrack range). The Fastrack range is seen as being contemporary, sturdy and
reliable. The advertising, packaging and merchandising of this range is young, vibrant and
‘cool’ (the ad line says “Cool watches by Titan”)
 
 
         Benefit positioning:
   The Fastrack Digital range offers the customer a functional watch that  is also attractive.
The digital watch has a “techno-geek” image, but Titan seeks to differentiate its offering on
the basis of superior style and attractiveness.
TITAN Industries, the country's nearly two decade-old watchmaker, is thinking younger. The Rs
1,100-crore company has firmly established FasTrack, for youth, as the third independent watch
brand after Sonata and house brand Titan, in its portfolio that accounts for nearly 60 per cent of the
watches sold in the country annually.

FasTrack dates back to the late '90s when it started off as a product range within the Titan umbrella.
Positioned as `cool watches from Titan,' it came with a heavy fashion quotient and was undeniably the
youth face of the country's largest selling watch brand. Nearly three years ago, the company started
developing the FasTrack story further as it emerged as a distinct sub-brand supported by a
commercial featuring ace Formula-1 driver Narain Karthikeyan in a prelude to its currently evolving
independent brand status. In the meantime, the company extended FasTrack into the eye gear
segment, with FasTrack sunglasses under its accessories business unit. Now, the company has
decided to merge both FasTrack watches and the eye gear business under a joint marketing team as
it sets out to target the youth market in a focused manner.

Last month, it unveiled new-look FasTrack watches that are more funky in fashion and style, and
pepped up the re-launch through a co-branding exercise with the iconic youth brand MTV. As part of
this association, which will bestow significant benefits on the FasTrack brand in terms of below-the-
line promotions targeted at the universe of youth, the company also launched a FasTrack-MTV
product range of 10 designs that are inspired by some of the ubiquitous elements in Indian life. Priced
at Rs 500, it marks the brand's definite move to reach out to the youth in pricing and in its appeal.

It is clear that bulk of FasTrack's offerings will now fall in the Rs 500-1,000 range as against its earlier
price bracket of Rs 1,100-2,500. Titan, as a brand, does not play in the below Rs 1,000 market,
leaving the mass market and upcountry share to the company's second brand, Sonata.

The move to lower price points of the fashionable youth brand comes at a time when the company is
waging a serious battle to improve its value share in the domestic watch market as the international
brands make a dent in the premium segment priced above Rs 5,000. While Titan as a company
accounts for 60 per cent of the organised market by volume, its share by value is just about 50 per
cent in the wake of some erosion. Global names make an impact in the high-value segment of the
overall organised watch industry pegged between Rs 1,200 crore and Rs 1,300 crore annually.

Industry estimates suggest that the premium end of the watch market is roughly Rs 350 crore in value
and growing significantly faster than the larger market, which is still ticking at single digit growth rates.
So, what merits FasTrack's independent brand avatar with funky positioning at much more affordable
price points?

The company says it never really understood the contribution of the youth to watch buying in the
country until last year when it conducted a study of the market, in about 1.5 lakh interviews including
both urban and rural inputs. "We realised that youth aged between 11 and 20 years account for 42
per cent of the overall watch buying. That sort of shook us up. We knew that it was some proportion,
but never thought their contribu<147,1,7>tion was so big," says Bijou Kurien, Chief Operating Officer,
Titan Industries Ltd.

The company was quick to grasp that FasTrack was limited by price points usually associated with the
mother brand. "We realised that we will constrain ourselves if we were to keep FasTrack operating
only in the higher-than- Rs 1,000 marketplace. It will certainly put the brand beyond the capabilities of
several youth looking at buying watches. It was also obvious to us that FasTrack cannot remain as
part of Titan, and that we have to establish it as an independent brand," Kurien adds.

The FasTrack road to being an independent brand was also evolving on another front. Says Kurien,
"We had already started using FasTrack in the eye gear market, in sunglasses, where the customer is
again the youth. We then decided to combine the watch and sunglasses business of FasTrack into a
standalone brand and let it have price points as determined by the dynamics of the youth segment
rather than be guided by the imperatives of the Titan brand structure."

In overhauling the products, the company has searched for a balance between fashion, style and use
of popular icons (like the use of John Abraham for eye gear and roping in MTV for watches). "Today,
we look at FasTrack as a solid youth brand, starting at Rs 500 and going up to Rs 2,500, with a mix of
products with most of it being fashion- and style-oriented, cases which are not very conventional-
looking. It is sort of more funky," says Kurien.

"It is also a product which does not have to last like the way a Titan needs to last. Because people
who buy it will typically wear it for a period of time before getting bored and moving on to the next one.
If we want to facilitate that, we cannot have high prices creating barriers for the first purchase and
certainly not for replacement purchase as well," he adds.

The company plans to leverage the association with MTV at many levels. Besides creating co-
branded products, it will look at the way MTV approaches its market and partnering with several of the
channel's below-the-line promotions. FasTrack, which earlier looked at the 20-25-year-olds as its core
customers, is now chasing the 15-20-year-olds as they will form the core of the brand's watch
business. "In the case of sunglasses, the age group tends to be slightly higher as youth go for eye
gear at the time of purchasing the first two-wheeler. So the brand spans customers in the age bracket
of 15-25 years," Kurien says.

The unified FasTrack brand stands to benefit from the synergies between marketing watches and
sunglasses to youth. "Both are typically what we describe as fashion accessories. In terms of the
target customer, they are very close to other in terms of reach, and thirdly, both the product categories
cater to the same set of youth who cannot be reached out to through conventional media. They have
niche channels, spend a lot of time hanging out, and are very Net-savvy," he explains. Analysts
tracking the watch sector seem to be upbeat on Titan's fresh moves, even though they recall that
FasTrack has not lived up to its promise in the past. They remark that it was only a Rs 37-crore brand
(watches and sunglasses combined) last year when it was expected to turn up Rs 100 crore in
watches alone. However, by rejigging pricing and striking an alliance with MTV, FasTrack stands to
benefit from a wider customer base and go beyond being metro-centric, they add.

The company expects the unified brand to throw up Rs 75 crore (watch business doubling to Rs 50
crore) in revenues in fiscal 2005-06. It now projects between Rs 150 crore and Rs 175 crore as brand
turnover in three years, with watches alone contributing Rs 100 crore. But will it deliver this time?
Kurien says extensive market research in the youth market has helped put FasTrack in the right
perspective. "In hindsight we realise that the biggest problem was the price point, having defined Rs
1,100 as the entry price when the significant youth buying was in the range of Rs 250-1,000," he
adds. Further, industry information suggests that about 10 per cent of the watch buying universe owns
multiple watches compared to only three per cent five years ago, and this is being touted as a trend
working in favour of brands like FasTrack. Industry observers say Titan now has a better
understanding of the youth market than before, and that is what perhaps prompted FasTrack's new
`How Many You Have?' commercial on air currently. "It was well researched even though some of us
were uncomfortable in putting it out. But the target segment has responded well. They have
empathised with it because it is tongue-in-cheek and captures a certain interlude in life without
appearing to be a very serious brand building effort," Kurien says.

The developments in FasTrack come at a time when the company has emerged from an indifferent
phase of growth, and reporting robust figures in recent quarters. And as the browsers take notice, the
stock is seemingly attracting valuation for its future growth. With the new look FasTrack, Titan is
getting younger, and hopefully, wiser.
http://wisdominhindsight.blogspot.com/2009/06/is-it-time-for-fast-track-to-move-on.html

Is it time for fast track to move on?

Fast track watches changed its tag line from 'how many you have?' to 'move on' some time
back.
The ad campaign for the 'how many you have?' was more on the lines of showcasing the
range and affordability in a funny manner.

so were the ads (clichéd though) showcased the girls chasing a boy who sports a new one
every time (I suppose) and the song goes on the lines of how many you have. what made the
ads enjoyable was the quirky treatment and fresh college faces. the ads worked. sales
zoomed. the brand established.

so far so good. Then the itch for a new theme started. Presumably agency initiated. Research
team would have got down to business and focus groups initiated. What came out was the
'move on' campaign.

The campaign was a huge hit. Strongly connected with the college going kid. And more
importantly gave a positive spin to how kids today look at relationships when you compare it
with the older generations. When a relationship fails, you had a Devdas out of a nobody,
today you have a Dev D out of him. It tried to say that there is no point in 'hanging on' but to
'move on' in life.

The key to the success was again the treatment.

you had a boy and girl what looks initially like exchanging gifts later turning out to be
returning the gifts given by each other. no hard feelings. no sob story. brilliant!

The campaign worked. Brand strengthened. The client and the agency decided its time to
push the bar even more. but this time, the standards fell. And how!
The move on campaign moved into the dangerous territory of putting a spin on 'one night
stand'.
The ad (unfortunately, I couldn't get a link for this one) showed a girl and a boy getting close
or rather too close for comfort. till the girl decides it’s high time and decides to dump him by
getting 'too close' to him. before one could comprehend it, there was a boy version on air just
to showcase that dumpings are gender insensitive!

What fails me and intrigues me is the thought behind this ad? Did the research gave pointers
that one night stand is in or is it the in thing? If so, wouldn't it have been better for the client
to exercise his own judgement before allowing the agency to run away with a 'new twist' to
the 'move on' route.

Today, when the world is looking up advertising and its gurus to promote the concept of safe
sex, the idea of multiple partners which the ad so explicitly promotes leaves a very bad taste.
And come to think of this, it is a TATA brand; known for its honesty and integrity among
many others.

The jury is still out on this one. but I think, it’s time for fast track to slow down and move on
from here.

I think this is a classic case in point of the conflict we witness whether oriental countires
aping west or vice versa or the generation gap between the millium and Gen X and Gen Y

I thoroughly dislike the new set of ads showcasing the fastrack brand of
watches. Although apparently aimed at the youth, it makes a mockery of the
traditional Indian values which many of us hold dear.

Although I concede that traditional relationships are in fact changing, I don't

see teenagers and the youth indulging in indiscriminate sex. Caution seems to
be the buzzword.

In this respect, being a 25 yr old male, I feel this ad is somewhat out-of-sync

with reality and fails miserably. What a fall from grace!! I totally agree with
you. Fastrack has to 'Move on'.

The creative team behind the campaign at Lowe includes Iyer, Rajesh Ramaswamy, Rimona
Ganapathy, Lohith Chengappa, Sharon Nayak, Mishti Srivastava and Adarsh Atal. The films
have been directed by Vivek Kakkad of Curious Films.
Simeran Bhasin, head, marketing and retail, Fastrack says that the venture into the category is
a part of the plans that were drawn when Fastrack was re-launched in 2005 as a fashion
accessory brand.

"We realised our strength is in the small front accessories and market research, too, showed
that there is a huge potential in this category. There are small players but no national brands
to talk of," Bhasin says.

On the campaign, Bhasin says that Lowe was briefed to break the clutter of advertising to
youth as well as the Fastrack clutter and keep it cheeky and flirtatious - as is signature of the
brand.

"The product category had to be the hero of the campaign," says Bhasin.

The product range will be available at Fastrack's 40 exclusive stores across the country and
various multi-brand outlets.

The television campaign is being supported by outdoor promotions. The digital medium is
also being exploited, with a strong presence on social networking sites and interactive
activities on the brand's website.

The campaign will continue well into the next year, until February, 2011. Maxus handles the
media duties for the band.

Moving on to the views

The TVCs have met with a mixed response from advertising experts. While the slick and
youthful nature of the films have been appreciated, some complain about the lack of product
integration.

Nitin Pradhan, executive creative director, Leo Burnett says he has lukewarm response to
offer. He says that the attempt to do something fresher is apparent and the films are different
from the general ones in the category. However, he would have liked it if the product
integration was stronger, especially since it is a launch campaign.

"The engagement, situations, performances are all nice. The tone, too, will cut ice with the
target audience. However, if the product could have been integrated a bit more with the
script, it would have worked better," says Pradhan.

He picks the airport film to be his least favourite, where the bag seems to have very little role
to play. "It is so incidental," he observes.

Vivek Dutta, business director and national planning head, Hakuhodo Percept, on the other
hand, gives a 'thumbs up' to the campaign.

"According to me, Fastrack as a youth brand stands out. The brand is being true to its TG
(target group). The TVCs are honest and they manage to catch the I-give-a-damn attitude of
the youth. They are bold, naughty and fun at the same time," he says.
Dutta finds the execution interesting, with the music adding to the irreverence of the TVCs.
He also finds the characters appealing, which he thinks would ring well with the target
audience.

"Genelia and Virat are interesting characters. You really do not know their relationship and
yet, somewhere, their naughty sexy appeal gets you at the end of it. I am sure the TG would
really connect and take notice of the commercials," he notes.

On a cheeky note, Dutta remarks that there seems to be a message for all those who do not
like the commercial... 'Move on'!