Vodafone – Happy to borrow: Brand analysis #14

For a company that has come a long way since making the first ever mobile call in 1985 to becoming the seventh most valuable brand in the world today, Vodafone has managed to keep their creative hats brighter than the rest. From the time of the ‘Happy to help’ puppy to VAS promotional campaigns with ‘Zoozoos’ to their latest campaign – ‘Happy to borrow’, Vodafone has always managed to set new industry trends and bring about high brand recall. This time, Vodafone again sets a new trend in the mobile market by allowing customers to ‘borrow talk time’ from friends. Indians are culturally close knitted in their communities and ‘asking for help’ being second nature.

Vodafone has played on this well and brought out the idea very effectively. By engaging the viewer for most part of the commercial and presenting the brand message at the very end, the commercial catches the viewer at their best and drives the message straight home. The idea of showing the various little to big things that Indians borrow from their friends, neighbours, roommates and colleagues in every sphere of life, Vodafone has put across their message with a hint of humour. The commercial is crafted on a creative idea, but will the offering sell? Although the target audience is clearly the student community, the need to borrow talk time may not be as extensively present to justify the campaign. But, the campaign rides on this message to reinforce the brand equity to the masses and think of Vodafone the next they think of a mobile connection. A brand becomes a success when the ‘noun’ becomes an ‘adjective’. Vodafone is slowly but steadily becoming that success story.

Rating: This campaign takes the brand closer to the audience’s heart.