Smartwater Visits Early Surrealist Cinema for ‘Made Differently’

The Coca-Cola Company and Taproot Dentsu have created an unusual blend of early surrealist cinema and mass market celebrity appeal in the new Indian campaign for smartwater.

The two brand films star actors Radhika Apte and Rana Daggubati and explore how they are ‘Made Differently’. The films have been created to cultivate a more highbrow brand image – something underlined by the obscure imagery and soft monochrome grade. The campaign’s director Daniel Upputuru has also chosen a vintage, crackly phonograph-esque approach to the sound design, calling back to the early 20th century.

Apte and Daggubati interact with a series of art installations set against an infinite black background, highlighting certain apparently unique aspects of the product.

According to Anoop Manohar, director – emerging categories, Coca-Cola India, the agency was charged with building a lifestyle case for the brand while also talking about the manufacturing process. He said: “The brief given to the agency was to showcase the unique process story of smartwater. Our aim with this campaign is to help consumers relate to the bright idea that smartwater is. As a premium water brand, smartwater is more than just a product, it is a lifestyle choice, a frame of mind and an attitude of seeking the best; all rolled into one.

Titus Upputuru, creative head, Taproot Dentsu, explains that the biggest challenge was finding an interesting and engaging way into the brief. “Typically, brand campaigns are about what brands do for consumers. This brief was challenging. We were asked to talk about the manufacturing process. Now that could have gotten really boring. But we saw a parallel between the actors Rana Daggubatti, Radhika Apte and the product smartwater. We found that they were all made differently. The choices that these actors have made in terms of the films and the characters is a testimony to this. The way smartwater is made is inspired from the clouds. We found this very fascinating. So, we didn’t want to just relegate it to the product window. We wanted to romance it. The installation execution seemed appropriate for a premium brand like smartwater. It was great to work with Rana Daggubatti and Radhika Apte.”