Surf Excel – Daag Achche Hain

Country: India

Agency: Lowe

Client: Hindustan Unilever, Surf Excel

Media: TV

Score

Originality: 9.5/10

Impact: 9.5/10

Credibility: 9.5/10

Relevance: 9.9/10

Personal Comments

Makes you smile doesn’t it? Everything in the commercial is so relevant to the intended target audience – the typical Indian mother. Kids coming back from school, the stains on their uniform, the talkative little sister and the protective and caring older brother. A country where family ties are more important and more cared for than anywhere in the world,  where the relationship between a brother and sister so widely celebrated (Raksha Bandhan et al), the ad is a perfect little memoir to childhood mischief, innocence and brotherly love.

Brilliant acting by both the kids.The sincerity with which the brother beats the muddy water and says “sorry bol raha hai (it says sorry)”, makes the viewer sit back and smile. The concept of stains being good (“daag achche hain”) is simple and effectively delivered through the naiveté of childhood.

Besides the mothers who probably form the bulk of the target audience, Surf Excel has always had brillaint ads that are catchy and easy to remember. In the early 2000s, any kid who messed up his clothes retorted to his exasperated mom with “Surf Excel Hain Na”. It was a good excuse and a good reason for kids to be kids. This ad still seems to have the same underlying concept – stains shouldn’t be a problem as long as you got Surf Excel.