Riso Rice Bran’s viral digital film receives mixed reviews from experts

Social Samosa takes a look at the Riso Rice Bran brand film, that has been viral on social media in the last few days...

The idea of a woman going on a solo fun trip, leaving her kids and husband back at home is still a distant dream for many. The urge to suddenly pack your bags and take a break from the regular household chores, to freely roam around the world is not as easy as it may sound.

Riso Rice Bran’s 3-minute long film challenges the stereotypes ingrained in the society and urges women to give their 100 per cent in whatever they are doing. The digital video has been conceptualised by Underdog and directed by Ram Subramanian.

Brief:

Talking about the brief, Vistasp Hodiwala, a.k.a Vispy from Underdog Communications says, “The brand’s philosophy of ‘Live 100/100’ for 100 per cent pure oil and we thought of imbibing this in our ad films by promoting the concept of ‘Whatever you do in life, give your 100 percent”.

The campaign started with a series of outdoor, radio spots and print ads and after seeing its success, the agency decided to go ahead with a digital film. “We collaborated with Ram and gave shape to the idea. There was a lot of back and forth, but the client backed us all the way,” added Hodiwala.

The film has clocked around 5 million views and around 28,000 shares in a span of four days on Voice of Ram’s Facebook page.

It is to be noted that the video garnered maximum traction from Ram’s Facebook page alone as there are only 2,879 views of the film on Voice of Ram’s YouTube channel. Riso Rice Bran is not using their platforms to promote the video as the video was not seen on the brand’s social media channels at the time of filing the report.

Ram Subramanian, film-maker, writer, Founder & Director of Handloom Picture shares, “The brand wanted a strong film and so far, the response has been tremendous, women all over have written their experiences on how they found the film to be so relatable.” The film was shot across twenty-five different locations in and around France, Italy, and Switzerland.

Read: #NiceHeadache: Is this the beginning of a new social revolution by Voice of Ram?

The brand has actually made a brave attempt, where they have exempted from showing a woman in the usual kitchen setup to talk about their product and it is quite refreshing to see them not speak of the functional aspects of the product.

The film rather sends out a very strong message for every married woman which is in line with the philosophy of the brand, ‘Live 100/100’.

Below are excerpts of few conversations on Voice of Ram’s Facebook page.

There appears to be mixed reaction from the audience. While some have appreciated the content because they could relate to it, others trolled the idea that roaming solo in a country like India is not possible because of safety issues.

Expert opinion:

Giving his views on the film, Naresh Gupta, CSO, BangInTheMiddle says, “It is way too long for my comfort, but today long format is becoming an indulgence for the brands. It may actually not be the best thing to do, especially when the videos are viewed on mobile and people don’t have patience. The mini film is the flavor of content on social media.”

Gupta explained that while the length of the campaign is an issue, social media tends to like messages that are socially responsible or are about issues.

“That is what this brand does well. The brand also did well by not doing the features of the brand. Brands advertise because they want memorability and want consumers to remember them at the moment of buying. I hope beyond views, the brand is witnessing a serious jump in recall and off take,” Gupta concluded.

According to Suveer Bajaj, Co-Founder, Foxymoron, marketers must understand the importance of an emotion and personal experience in their campaigns. Especially when it comes to the digital spectrum, as today's digital consumer expects an enjoyable experience with every online interaction or campaign.

“Keeping this in mind, the brand has capitalized on the lowest hanging fruit; that is travel and its concept of experiencing love, life, and the world. Highlighting the conventional stereotype of a housewife, this video has encapsulated on the experiential concept and succeeded in building an emotional roller-coaster ride,” Bajaj added.

The campaign has graciously benefitted from a fresh story line and banked on Subramanian’s popularity as an influencer. How the brand keeps the momentum up will be interesting to see.

Read: 10 campaigns that redefine content marketing