Dhoni Down South – Why the new Pepsi IPL Commercial works

The right mix is important for any ad to work. And if the ad is taking off on a well-worn context the chances of it falling woefully short are very high.

For instance, if you take the Sholay template, Thakur (no arms) has to be just right, even if the characterization is slightly off, it falls flat.

McDonalds has used this device for its ‘aapne zamaae ke daam’ campaign. In that the ‘thakur’ rendition works while the ‘Dharmendra’ rendition is at best average.

Back to the Pepsi IPL ad.

The single point why it works is that Dhoni has totally gotten into the Rajnikant character. The swirl of the lungi, the glint in the eye, the swagger in the motion.

Best of all, we know he’s having fun. And so do we. 

See the commercial here: