English House, a leading online platform tutoring the English language and skills, recently drew the attention of onliners through its new funny video ad. The ad has received big thumbs up from the netizens. The ad features a native lemon vendor trying to sell lemons to a foreigner visiting Kerala on a touring holiday. As the ad progresses, the vendor finds it hard to communicate in English with his foreign customer, leading to a misunderstanding. The customer leaves his purchase halfway. The vendor fails to communicate and loses a business as well. The ad tries to highlight the growing importance of the English language in our day-to-day lives through a subtle and humorous take.
The ad, starring Hareesh Kanaran, a famous comedian who appears in Malayalam films, was conceptualized and directed by Safder Merva of Merva Ads. As the ad continues to break the internet in full swing making the viewers laugh, Safder reveals how he has worked and concluded on the idea. He tells how a man who caught the headlines recently influenced him to create this viral idea.
It is the story of Harekala Hajabba, an illiterate orange vendor who made school a reality for children of Harekala, a small village in Mangaluru. His contribution won him Padma Shri Award from President Ram Nath Kovind recently. With his dream of building a school at Harekala, Hajabba saved a portion from his meagre earnings for establishing one.
Born in an impoverished family, Hajabba’s desire to get educated could not be fulfilled as there was no school nearby. His father was a sand miner, and his mother used to roll beedis. Hajabba started selling oranges in 1976 at the age of 16, which continues even today.
The story of Harekala Hajabba has prompted Safder to conceptualize this ad. With all due respect to Hajabba’s inspiring story, Safder imbibed the idea into this ad in an interesting, humorous way. Though the ad is funny, it serves the purpose well. The advertisement garnered attention across all social media platforms and on Television channels as well. Though humorous, the ad shows the impact of the English language in today’s world and how essential it is to survive in this highly competitive world.
Merva Ads has always been a production house with a difference. Safder and his agile team have always been experimental in choosing subjects and visualizing them into socially relevant ads. Each concept speaks positivity and optimism, drawing inspiration from the lives of common people. When Merva Ads joined hands with English House, this viral concept was born, which was equally agreed upon by everyone. The idea was put into action, hoping to uplift people's lives through proper English education that can complement their skills and work in this global era.
“When compared to other education-related ads, this ad is made with a difference. It doesn’t speak of the statistics or students. Rather, it highlights the need for English education. And, no wonder it blew up the social media feeds. I am happy that the ad, along with many comments, brought with it a headline-grabbing moment. We are happy about it,” says Safder.
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