Advertisers across categories are parodying media content, product, brand, issue, etc. to cut through clutter, infusing campaigns with spoofed ideas creating revolution in the advertisement industry. Quite a lot of brands have resorted to creating spoofs on their rival brands and have been pretty successful in capturing the consumer's interest. Spoof ads need good planning and forecast as it rides on the success of other brands or there is a threat of backfiring as a strategy.

Marketers are perennially under tremendous pressure to keep pace with capricious newfangled consumer drift, intricate and swarming media and increasing demands for liability of every penny spent for marketing. They are continuously on their toes to formulate and execute new marketing approaches, which deviate from traditional structure. Spoofing is one of the styles, which has cut through the clutter and has created high recall value, as consumers are acquainted with context and comprehend it. "When there is little to differentiate the product, agencies look for a good reference point that will catch public attention," says Ramesh Thomas, President and Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO), Equitor Management Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

Spoofing is a chill perception presented in a hilarious line of attack. It is intended to coerce in the fun components to draw consumer's attention. As in spoof advertisements, content is familiar and popular, the recall value for the campaign is intensified by multiple folds. Varied outlook is exhibited about spoof advertising. "It works only if it's well done. There is a very thin line between spoofing and parody, and the latter can be counterproductive," feels Alok Saraogi, Planning Director, Contract. Josy Paul, Chairman and National Creative Director, BBDO India is of the opinion that if having fun at someone's expense is what is meant by `spoof' ads, then any brand can do that. He substitutes the word spoof with "laughing or making fun at someone else's expense". Bobby Pawar, Chief Creative Officer, Mudra feels that "as spoofs are very topical and if you take the mickey out of somebody, consumers will take notice. They will either applaud it or laugh at it and that's where you will get brownie points for the brand."

Spoof advertising trigger consumers to relate things as it gives the brand instantaneous association with someone or something, which becomes a reference point that is out of the ordinary. And, the association resonates strongly with consumers. For instance, Hari Sadu in Naukri.com ad though not an iconic figure, it highlights the profile of an arrogant boss one sees at work every day making it an ad with a difference. It is essential that spoof advertising has hilarious and witty component that creates inquisitiveness among the consumers forcing them to look out for the core message, as people are easily attracted only to those concepts, which are new and original. "Intellectual property is the bigger issue; knowing how best to deal with such a situation is tricky, especially in an environment where it's easy to do and spreads almost instantly" says Byrne.

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