Everything from the MG Hector ads to the next-generation Hector as well as all that follows is a tip of the hat to England.
It was quite endearing to see British actor Benedict Cumberbatch personalize this same automobile MG Hector vehicle for us, the viewers, back in 2019. Four years later, to see the legacy British automaker nod to P.G. Wodehouse’s novel, labeled My Man Jeeves, for its next-generation Hector is nothing short of endearing. What’s notable is that starting with the initial ad broadcasted in the country to the most recent one, the majority, if not every, of the cast are British nationals. “The brand does have a rich British heritage, as well as MG Motor, is iconic in that context, including its vehicle racing heritage, which we continued to leverage,” Sean says Cheil India’s executive creative director, Sean Colaco, on the brand’s ad for the Next-Gen Hector. It’s due to this inheritance and heritage that British actors have continued to appear throughout MG Motor India advertisements. “The company has existed since the 1920s and is ingrained in the DNA. It’s the reason why, whenever possible, MG Motor films are shot in England. “The latest advertisement attributes a shadow of British theatre actors,” Colaco explains. A youthful unidentified nobleman and his butler ‘Bertram’ appear in the 106-second commercial. They’re disagreeing about Hector the car. To add to the sarcasm, the aristocrat refers to it as “the car that pampers me,” much to the chagrin of the butler. To build up this feud, MG Motor India issued two teasers, each focusing solely on a single element of how Hector tries to push itself into the butler’s territory. It was amusing to see the butler unable to understand how some of his employers had been going to favor Hector and starting to feel threatened, but Colaco points out subliminal advertising about generational squabbles, given that this ad is for Next-Gen Hector. The butler pleasuring his employer was indeed the solution to the brand’s brief, which, according to Colaco, boiled into one word – pamper. A Next Hector did break behind in an old MG racecar as well as a black London cab at a stoplight in the commercial. It was intentional. “The primary goal would have been to highlight the vehicle’s ADAS feature. “The MG racing car was indeed a homage to the brand’s heritage, as well as the black cab, has been to construct enhance the taste of Britishness,” Colaco explains. If you look at how MG Motor India treats its commercials, you might think it’s aimed just at the urban elite. However, according to the brand’s website, the price starts at Rs 14.72 lakh, and it does include a few stylish smart tech features. We return to 2019. Pallavi Singh, the brand’s marketing head at the time, told afaqs! “Our company can compete, it’s comfy to be using, yet it nevertheless falls inside the premium category…”.
Follow and connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn & Twitter.
