Summary
- Campaign Name: FeviKwik: The “Fish” Ad
- Core Message: Fevikwik provides an instant, powerful, life-saving bond in sudden, critical situations. It’s the ultimate quick fix.
- Key Insight: Instead of demonstrating adhesion in a serious way, Fevicol uses absurd, unforgettable situations that humorously prove the product’s quality. If Fevicol can defy nature and logic, it can certainly hold your furniture together.
- The local fisherman (dhoti-clad) was played by actor Rajesh Khera. The other, well-equipped fisherman was played by actor Kamal Chopra.
The iconic “fish” advertisement was for FeviKwik (a Pidilite instant adhesive), and became famous for its humorous demonstration of the product’s instant bonding power. Released in 1999 and conceptualized by ad legend Piyush Pandey.
The ad’s plot
The commercial is a simple, yet highly effective, visual story set by a lake:
- Characters:
The ad features two main characters: a well-equipped, seemingly urban man patiently fishing with a modern rod and reel, and a local, simply-dressed (dhoti-clad) fisherman.
- The Plot:
- The well-dressed man is sitting quietly, waiting for a catch, while the local fisherman arrives making some noise.
- The local fisherman takes a plain stick and, while counting in Tamil (“Onnu, renda, moonu, naalu” – one, two, three, four), applies four dots of FeviKwik to it.
- He dips the stick into the water, and almost instantly, the stick begins to shake as fish get stuck to the glued spots.
- He pulls the stick out and effortlessly has four fish attached, much to the utter shock and amazement of the other, more conventional, fisherman.
- Tagline: The commercial perfectly delivered its message with the famous tagline: “Chutki mein chipkaaye, FeviKwik” (Sticks in an instant, FeviKwik).
Reception and recall
The iconic FeviKwik “fish” ad was created by the advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather (now Ogilvy, India). It was conceptualized by the renowned adman Piyush Pandey and directed by his brother, Prasoon Pandey, of Corcoise Films production house.
The ad was later voted “TV commercial of the century”.
The ad’s brilliance lay in its simplicity, humor, and use of a relatable scenario to dramatically showcase the product’s core benefit: instant adhesion. It conveyed the message without any complex dialogue, making it universally understood across different regions and languages in India. The contrast between the two fishermen effectively highlighted the ease and efficiency of using FeviKwik.
