ASSIGNMENT
SELECTION OF ADVERTISEMENT AND REASON
For this study , I have chosen the Max Life Insurance ad campaign i.e “ We will protect her tomorrow , you empower her today”. Main motive to select this ad is to convey the social message with icing of humor, which became the reason for my attraction towards it .This ad campaign portrays the change in the mindset and thinking of people towards woman .The Max life insurance television commercial , which conveys the idea of empowering and giving equal status to one’s better half in our life by giving the valuable and essential life skills . With the help of this advertisement Max life insurance tries to communicate the importance of life insurance term plan as the life is uncertain along with the ideology of men empowering the women in their life for present .The advertisement was launched to recognize the change in the status of women in a society . Through this TVC of Max life insurance tries to pass the message that as the time is changing , so the perception and psychology of the people towards the role of women in this society should also get modify .This ad has a emotional and humors touch in it , more of emotional concern of a husband towards his wife. The husband is teaching his wife driving lessons , so that she can go for shopping by herself , when he is not around her . Apart from keeping the term plan for his wife , he also imitated to teach her life skills to make her independent . To analyze the ad of max life insurance , semiotic approach is used to emphasize that only taking term plan is not important and enough for our dear ones but to empower them for present and future is must , as rightly said in this ad We will protect her tomorrow , you should empower her today . For us taking the insurance is enough to protect the family in our absence but have we ever thought that will they be able to use that money you left for them ,if they are not empowered enough or independent , the plan will be no use to them . The advertisement depicts that empowering a girl ,one empowers the future . This campaign appropriately pointed out that the time is changing , so are the relationships and that’s why the husband encouraging his wife to learn driving not for him but for herself .
DESCRIPTION OF THE BRAND
The brand is Max Life Insurance is one of the renowned and a leading insurance company in India . It is associated with the Max India limited group . It was established in the year 2000 just after the liberation of the insurance segment and it started operating in 2001 as a life securing insurance company . It has a joint pursuit between Max financial and the Mitsui Sumitomo insurance group. Max life term plan company is admired and trusted life insurance company by protecting the future of its potential customer financially .The company provides the life coverage insurance , pension , health related benefits to its customers The product and the plan of Max insurance company include both type of products based on group and individual . The company earlier named as Max New York Life Insurance company limited and couple of year ago it was changed to Max Life Insurance company limited . The product is presented and segmented for the people who wants their dear ones to be secured after them. The target group of this company is the working men. The term plan that insurance company offers and provide to their customers are child plan , strategic plan , retirement plan , health benefits plan , protection plan and also the group based plan. The company launches their advertisement and campaign in all the medium of communication . They publish their ads on digital media platforms such as Facebook and Youtube . The series of advertisements are telecasted as television commercial also . The promotions are made by sponsoring the events , sports , etc. The company has brought out several advertising campaigns and the prominent among them are ‘Second chance’ and ‘Sachchi advice’. Every advertisement carried out by the Max life insurance is based on important message along with the importance of life insurance in one’s life.
DESCRIPTION OF THE ADVERTISMENT
The advertisement been categorized into four scenes along with the collages of the screenshot of the commercial
Fig1: Car entering the residential area and the car stops .
The scene opens where a car is seen on the road in a residential area with the sound of car horn and by getting jerks the car stops . Creating disturbance for the people around .In the opening scene the focus is on the car entering and stopping in the middle and the framing of the scene has used the establishing shot just to show the exterior of the car and the people around it. The frame shifts to the interior shot of the car , focus on the doll whose head gets apart due to car jerks. Then a girl is seen placing her head on steering wheel with a dejected expression as she struggles to drive and husband sitting beside her sighs ‘hmmm’ and tries to console her, place the head of the doll back . The girl in this scene is Tara who looks at her husband (Adi) and says “Adi I can’t yaar and now please don’t start mere bad tum wala nonsense. She tells her husband that I can’t do it and tell him not to lecture or make her understand about ‘What mere bad’ and all .Then the scene changes. .
Fig2: Wife says people take insurance and not the driving lessons and the husband replies back.
In this scene close up shot of a wife is taken while she says people take insurance for the future not the driving lessons . Then angle shifts to the husband who replies her angry wife by smiling and replying that he has already taken the Max life term plan insurances for future but to spend that money how will she go to market for shopping , she needs to learn to driving . The love between the conversation between the couple is seen as the husband uses word ‘Sweetheart’ for her wife . The husband expressions show the care and love for her better half .He wants her to live independently by giving the car lesson , he is making the first step in empowering her . After the close up shot of husband the angle shifts to the wife’s reaction and surprised expression while looking at her husband.
Fig.3. Wife agrees to her husband .
In this third scene slow and humorous music is heard , which is appropriate to the situation . The music is played and depicts the wife’s amazed expressions towards her husband response . The wife agrees to him and husband starts to teaching her again . It turns to be humors as husband reminds her the gears of the car and she replies in anger . Husband says A B C like he is teaching ABCD rhyme to a child and wife interprets by saying Accelerator, break ,Clutch .and sighs ‘Han’.Then on her reply , he say ‘Okay chalo’ .
Fig.4. The shot of car exterior and the picture of max life insurances plan detail.
In this fourth and final scene again wife starts the car again and struggles to drive .The frame of the shot changes , extreme long shot is used , where we again see the exterior of the car . The shot show the husband holding the car from inside as her wife gives break and car gets stop . Apart
from the focus on car , surrounding and location is also bring to focus again just like the beginning of the ad . While this shot , we hear the voice over saying that “We will protect her tomorrow and you empower her today,” and it continues with the picture of Max life term plan details and citation online website .And also the tagline Max life .
SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF TVC
The advertisement opens with the car on the road of residential area entering with sound of car horn and stops in the middle disturbing the people passing by . In this scene we see the exterior of the car first and the background of the set . The feel of the surrounding is fresh as it is morning time . Then frame shifts to interior set of the car ,, a close up shot of the dancing and dropping of the doll head by the jerks of the car along with the dejected voice and expression of a girl . Then the couple is shown and a girl with dejected expressions to be a wife tells her husband that she can’t do it and please don’t start the lecture on ‘what after me’ . In irritating voice she says people take insurance not the driving lessons . The reply on the husband is commendable as he changes the mood by smiling and with sweet voice shows the care and concern he has for her wife . The way husband handles the wife’s anger in a humor and polite manner indirectly touches and gives the power and respect a women deserves equal to men in our society . He says that he has already taken the Max life term plan , this shows the brand of the insurance and later he says in a soft and encouraging voice that to spend that money and go to the market , her sweetheart needs to learn the driving . In the next half of the video the wife agrees to her husband and starts to struggle to drive . The humor is presented by the way husband starts to teach the gears of the car in the childish manner and wife replies bit irritated and angry manner . Through this advertisement we see the change in the psychology and thinking of men apart from thinking about themselves they are thinking for their better half . They are initiating to empower women , so that when they are not around , they can sustain and live their life on their own . In this advertisement the couple are dressed in a casual attire as they are taking the driving lessons . A wife is seen wearing casual sleeveless top which depicts the modern day women with minimal jewelry in ear and neck which blends and portray her to be rooted with Indian values and culture. And the husband is seen in casual t-shirt with wrist watch .The color pattern used in this commercial is sober and justify to give the essence of modern lifestyle The use of Red and green as a apparel of the artists in the ad . The color red increases the energy and stimulate the enthusiasm . It gives a sense of protection to the audience from fear and the anxiety . It signifies the willpower and the courage , the husband is depicting by breaking the stereotypes. The use of green in the ad depicts the youth , acceptance and love . The color implemented in the description of max life insurance image are blue and orange . the orange used for the words Life , box of Max life insurance.com and the logo of the insurance company and its plan depicts the emotional connect , enthusiasm and creativity . The blue color symbolizes the trust and the loyalty of the brand towards its customers. This color is usually associated with the depth and the stability it creates in the viewers mind . The variation of blue i.e dark blue is used to show the power , security and seriousness of life of their customers.
A great combination of shots, camera angle and the lighting been used in this advertisement. While the setting scene is establishing shot as it is shown in a Extreme Long Shots , when the car enters with jerks while the people are walking and gets disturbed . Also through shot we see the house from which we guess the plot is in the residential area in urban . There are also the close up shots where the facial expressed are kept on focus . Like in the video , the expression of wife getting dejected and irritated by getting driving lessons , her struggle and surprised expression on her husband response, etc. The movement of doll falling apart show case the way and struggle of driving . As due to the sudden break , the doll on the front heads break apart. The natural lighting is seen as it is the morning time .There are over the shoulder shot angles used to show who is talking by keeping the other person and background blur . In the TVC , when Tara says people take insurance not driving lessons , the focus was on her by blurring the face of the husband but it is visible that she is talking to her husband , who is sitting next to him and same in the case when Adi replies back Tara is blurred .
As it is clearly visible that the background set for this advertisement is soothing , soft and refreshing as the location is outside on the road under the sky . The morning bliss is the great time to start a day and pleasant. The main plot of the commercial been shot on the road which directly relates to the journey of life. The sky symbolizes here as a Openness and the changing state of mind , a desire to break free the stereotypical belief and thinking prevailing in our society . This advertisement campaign aims to target the customers mainly the men and the potential buyers of life insurance term plan .
The theme of the advertisement presents the outlook towards women empowerment and balancing the gender equality status by portraying a modern women. It tend to break the stereotypical ideology by applying the creative thought of empowering one’s better half not only by securing their future by insurance but by beneficial life skills. The charming repartee between the couple , depicts there is no space of discrimination .Not letting the women sit at home and be depend on the men at home for going here and there but giving the charge in the hands of women . Life is uncertain , no one knows when life can end but making their loved ones capable to live in their absences.
The language used in this commercial is basic and understandable , the language that we use in our day lives “usko kharch karna ka liya aap market kaise jayengi Sweetheart”.The voice over at the end gives the meaning and tells the main message of Why a husband (Adi) is teaching wife (Tara ) how to drive by the tagline of the commercial i.e ‘We will protect her tomorrow , you empower her today’. Just to bring out the change in the mindset of people by ensuring that they take the responsibility to protect the tomorrow of their potential customers dear ones but also remind them that it is also the duty of the insurance holder to empower those for whom he took the term plan. The advertiser of the campaign tries to persuade to empower the women exist in the lives of men. Not only life insurance but by giving independent life to their better half is must . The approach used in the advertisement is to touch the social taproot issue and concern in India by twist of humor and emotional expression .The emotional touch with great combination of humor and the social message conveyed by the commercial is innovative and interesting by presenting the life insurance by giving the life skills to women .
SIGNIFIER AND SIGNIFIED RELATION IN TABULAR FORM
SIGNIFIER SIGNIFIED
Outdoor set , language Props (Car ,doll etc.) A road side set of residential area in a urban city. A location with natural lighting . A car used as prop to signify the move towards empowering women . The language in a way, we converse in our day to day life .
Boy and girl in a car Warm ,affectionate and supportive relation between them . A fre
edom of living life fully .
LoLoving and caring couple The bonding of love , concern for each other future is seen . A gender equality and step empowering his better for today. Taking the security cautions for future in advance.
Costume and jewellery worn by the couple in the advertisement . A western style of clothing depicts the status and class of the couple , which seems to be upper middle class . Attire of the couple depicts the modern lifestyle and casualness .Girl preferred to wear sleeveless top for driving lesson and boy also stick to casual t-shirt. Wife seen wearing earring and thin gold chain, which is light and minimal jewellery which is easy to carry and gives a look of elegance . Whereas the husband wore a wrist watch .
Use of doll as a object . The doll head falling apart in this commercial can be interpret as the breaking the stereotype in the matter of women status and empowerment . And also in the context of the struggle the wife is going through while taking the driving lessons.
‘Max life ka term plan le liya hai maine ,toh paise ki tension nahi hogi lekin usko kharch karna ka liya aap market kaise jayengi sweetheart’ The husband response to his wife in a humorous but pointing the important message that by getting the plan is not enough , to use that money you need to have skills .The money is not the only issue but to use them is main concern.
Tagline : “We will protect her tomorrow ,you empower her today” The tagline of the ad via voice over depicts the main motive of Adi teaching Tara how to drive , he is initiating to the openness and broadening the mindset of people in our society . Empowering a girl , you empower future .
CONCLUSION OF THE STUDY
Max life insurance is raising a major issue prevailing in India , the women status and women empowerment . The advertisement is believed to break the stereotypical belief and mindset of people. This ad is seem to be the move in social context by initiating to make broad minded thinking of society towards women. The people who perceive that a women should not do men works , should not go out , work ,and should spend her life around the four walls of house .This advertisement of Max life insurance to change the thinking of people , especially the thinking of men who don’t consider women equal and compatible to do things which they can do .The most important part of the TVC is when placing the brand in a strategic and humorous manner. The advertisement tries to promote the benefit of life insurance with the concern of women empowerment . they states that it’s their duty to protect the tomorrow but they should start know to empower their better half for today . The Max life insurance launched a campaign “We will protect her tomorrow , you empower her today” , which is conceptualized by the renowned advertising company Ogilvy & Mather . The campaign focused on conveying the importance of the life term plan, as life is uncertain and they show couple sharing each others habit. In India , women are totally dependent on men as the time has changed now but after the death of their spouse , wife’s become helpless . to make them independent , men should start the training today . As depicted in the video husband shows the concern that life term plan is not a problem he has already done that but to spend and use that , wife should be capable and knows the life skills. This advertisements appropriately uses and fit to the AIDA model of advertising. The attention is created towards the issue and has developed the interest by emotional touch . For instance , on YouTube the video is captioned as “Watch why Adi is teaching Tara how to drive”.
By creating awareness the insurance company tend to generate the trust and desire for life term plan .After seeing this ad , the company believe , the men watching this will do the need full for their better half’s .The ad campaign gets our focus on how not life insurance is not enough but to spend that skills are required . The idea of advertisement like these steps to break the control of society on women .The ad campaign is very relatable and present aspect of our daily life .