Why this Kolaveri Di? wails the singer. You tell me. Here's what I can tell you. Bottle one Tamil pop music video. Add polyglot Tanglish lyrics (that's Tamil + English) in eyedropper doses. Stir in some auto tune on steroids. Add handclaps, tambourine and addictive Indo-folk music rhythms. Chuck in a bunch of subtitles that add nothing by way of meaning. Shake bottle vigourously. Release. 10 days and 11 million plus YouTube views later, open champagne and buy Ferrari. As with anything truly viral it has become memetic - inspiring spoofs, lip-dubs and Japanese dancercise videos. 

Watch the video on our FB page!




Am disappointed and repulsed by this campaign from Grey Hungary for Chevrolet that seems to come from a bygone era. 

I am disappointed because the creative team completely shortchanged a valid brief.
I am repulsed because it is based on ignorance - like all things filled with prejudice.

In terms of execution, the ads coyly hint that made-in-China parts will never replace "high quality Chevrolet genuine parts." 


The hint is delivered through a typographic treatment that slickly replaces Roman script letter forms with Chinese characters that resemble them. While effective, this device is hardly original - it has been used by every non-Chinese art director since the first Chinese take-out menu was ever designed - but I digress. 

So, what is the agency attempting to say with these ads? 
It's a question that provokes a cascade of questions. 

Where does the agency think parts for a Made-in-China Chevrolet car come from? Michigan? 

Or are they saying that it's good enough to manufacture a whole car in China but not the parts? (For context, I should state here that Chevrolet claims an annual manufacturing capacity of above 300,000 cars in China and 380,000 in India. They also manufacture parts aplenty.)

Or is the agency saying that Chevrolet keeps a lower standard for the parts and cars they manufacture in India and China - but that a lower standard is just fine as long as those cars are not sold to Europeans? 

For additional irony, consider this: Chevrolet is an American brand with global manufacturing facilities including one in Hungary where this ad was made. 

I think this is a scam ad campaign that wasn't worth the effort and which may prove to be a very embarrassing mistake for Grey Hungary and GM. 

I count many Chinese art directors and writers as friends - they are outstanding creative people. 

And I can say this for sure: if this ad had been made in China, by them, it would never have been this bad.

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