All of Mi, serves all of you!
The about minute and a half long ad is an amalgamation of a number of different short stories. It starts with a guy pulling out his Mi TV in his balcony early in the morning and playing loud firecracker sound on it. This startles an old neighbor who was enjoying his bed tea and wakes up the entire neighborhood. It then features a girl on her phone video calling her mother with Mi True wireless earphones and learning how to make laddus from her. The ad then shows an elderly woman giving blessings to youngsters via a video call. It then features a couple failing at making a beautiful rangoli on their own. They then go in front of their neighbor’s home and take pictures with their rangoli. It also shows a group of people s who create makeshift lamps out of water bottles (filled with Mi water purifier) and a string of light. And lastly, it shows a girl frantically looking for something in her closet, only to then finally drape a curtain as a saree while video calling her family. All of these little stories are supported by a voice-over that explains what is happening in the video. The ad ends with a “Diwali with Mi” text on the screen followed by Xiaomi’s logo.
Unique solutions to unique problems
When the pandemic hit us, none of us had really dealt with a problem quite like this. And advanced problems like this need innovative solutions which is what we think Xiaomi has tried to do with this ad. The ad shows a number of short stories each with its own unique problem that people solve with the help of a Mi product. Some we liked. Some we did not. The ad starts on a bad note. In the beginning when the person pulls out his TV and puts in really loud firecracker noise which startles an old man, is a part of the festival we wished the ad did not promote, considering how every year noise pollution harms the elderly and animals. That said, the rest we think was very sensible and well put together. We liked how the ad centers around solutions and not the problem and highlights a wide range of products while doing so.
The problem at hand is very unique and the ad presents solutions to some of them. This is the time of the year when one yearns to be near their dear ones and given the current circumstances, it seems that this Diwali, people would have to stay in to stay safe. Xiaomi has used its technology and products in the ad to show how one can virtually have a normal Diwali, even in these unprecedented times. In just a minute and a half, the ad manages to highlight a wide range of Xiaomi’s products. That said, we felt Xiaomi could have done a tad more when it comes to branding. The ad definitely comes across as a tech ad but which brand it is trying to highlight does not really come across as loud and clear as it should have. We would have liked it if the “Mi” logo was more visible. They could have highlighted the brand on each individual product in all the short stories. In its current state, this could be an ad for any brand, really. Wonderfully universal, but not what we think the brand had in mind.
Mi + You = Happy Diwali?
“Diwali ko Happy Banake rahenge” is a very simple ad when it comes to context. The core concept of the ad is quite basic. It is what we have been seeing ever since the pandemic has hit the world. The video calling, the connection over the phone, and virtual meetups are all we see these days. The only difference is that this one comes with a Diwali angle. With festivals around the corner, Xiaomi has explored how this season, technology would play an even bigger role in making people feel festive. The ad has nothing extraordinary in it but taps on the potential of a simple idea and except for a few flaws, it has done well. Diwali might be different this year but Mi is definitely trying to make you happy!
