A Tribute to the Foot Soldiers

Last night’s match was one of the best performances by United this season. 4-0 on the night, 7-2 on aggregate, 4 goals by Rooney in the tie – everything a fan can wish for. True Arsenal had just beaten Porto 5-0, but this is Milan we are talking about.

AC Milan, boasting of Pirlo, Ronaldinho, Ambrossini, Beckham, Seedorf, Huntelaar, Flamini & Inzaghi. AC Milan, who had won all their previous 2-legged European ties against Manchester United. AC Milan, who are currently second in Seria A. 

And they were up against an United team which cannot be called full-strength by any stretch of imagination. Carrick suspended, Rooney half-fit, Owen, Anderson, Brown, Hargreaves and Giggs out through injury, and Ferdinand playing 2 consecutive games for the first time since October! 

And yet, we never looked like a team that could concede, and Milan never looked like they could score. For this, the credit should go to those unheralded foot soldiers, who toil match-in match-out while keeping themselves away from all the glitz and glamour. Like the spirited Ji-sung Park, with his limitless reservoirs of energy. Like the infallible Darren Fletcher, a pillar in the midfield for Manchester United. Fitting that the two of them got a goal apiece on the night to commemorate their game. Also included in this small band of players is ever-committed Paul Scholes, who could have become a David Beckham, but chose to be a better footballer instead. They are the engine that drives Manchester United towards their ever-loftier goals. And undoubtedly, the microprocessor controlling the engine is the brain of Sir Alex, who assigned to Park the most important role in the match – that of keeping Pirlo quiet – thus stopping Milan in their tracks. 

Yes, Rooney has been brilliant, Ronaldo unstoppable and Messi has played with more flair. But we should take a step back and pay the respect that is due to these indomitable foot soldiers of Manchester United. For, in the ultimate analysis of who has won what at the end of the season, it is they who will be the difference between success and failure.

Is competitive the way to go?

Last week, whenever I went for a client meeting, one common question everyone asked was, “As a planner, do you think we can do a Rin?” everyone is excited by what Rin has done. At the very least, it has generated a lot of discussion. Some consumers I spoke to were scathing about the piece of communication, while others were bemused, and even pleasantly surprised by HUL’s courage.

I personally think it is a masterstroke, provided the client is ready to face the litigations that are sure to come. HUL broke the ad on Thursday. Even if P&G had framed their response by Friday, they could not file for a stay till Tuesday (it was an extended weekend, Monday being Holi). The ad had already achieved its desired effect by then, HUL swamped the 4 days with the ad.

Although rare in India, competitive ads are nothing new. For example, Sun has been running the following ad for the last 2 months. It makes sense if you have a provable advantage over the competition. However, there are risks that we as advertisers should be aware of.

The first risk is resonance & believability. The advantage must be important enough and the proof solid. The key is that it must be quantifiable. Otherwise it would not stand a chance in court. Rin did well on both counts.

A second threat comes from a third party – what Subaru did when BMW & Audi were fighting each other. They hijacked the conversation and took the fight to a different level. In the case of Rin vs. Tide, for example, Ariel can come forward and say something like who cares about white clothes, Ariel helps you preserve colour best!

In sum, competitive advertising can be a double-edged sword. It just depends on how much risk you are willing to take. As always, more the risk, greater the return.