Monday, January 28, 2002

Ads I Love: Kawasaki "Unshakable" Caliber

1 mt 31 secs

Click on the image above, and then click on play button once it becomes available.

Our protagonist, the Caliber-rider, is looking for his long-lost love. He rides his bike day in and day out, going from pillar to post, traversing through all sorts of terrain. Alongside, the mellifellous voiceover sings inspirationally:
"E chalne wale raah mein rukna na haar ke
Hai tere intezaar mein saai bahar ke
Jab jhoom ke nikal pade manzil ki chah mein
Phir chahe jitne mod mile aaj raah mein
Har mod har nishaan hai apni nigah mein"
(O dear traveller, keep moving *don't quit*
Eagerly awaiting you is the glory
When we have started off with the desire for the goal *to reach the target*
Then however many turns there may be in the path
Every turn, every landmark is looking at us)

And then he finds here house! She opens the door, and smiles at him. Then he notices her mangalsutra...she is married. In the meantime, a kid, presumably hers, comes out of the house. Our hero smiles, and gifts the puppy that was his companion through his trials and tribulation in the quest for the girl, and presumably a gift for her.

The song goes:
"Chalte chalo raah ye jahan tak chali chale
E chalne wale raah mein chalna na haar ke"
(Keep moving to wherever the road takes you
O dear traveller, keep moving *don't quit*)

Voice-over
"Presenting the Caliber: The Unshakable"

I liked the ad, and in a subtle way it does convey that the motorcycle is sturdy and reliable, no matter what. This is especially important in India as the conditions are rather rough in most of the country.

Some of my friends bought the Caliber and were exceedingly pleased with the bike. Unfortunately for Bajaj and for my friends, the "guys" named them "mama" (maternal uncle) - an allusion to ad storyline where the hero doesn't get the girl.