Put three people: a famous movie star, a strange looking plump man and a suitably hot woman in an office room. Keep the camera locked in and give them 30 scripts to enact, each no longer than 20 seconds. Throw in a few props to add some variety to the mix. And there you have it, a “Same Set, different story” formula.

This year, the IPL has seen this formula regurgitated by many brands, including some that normally churn out good stuff. IDEA, Max New York Life and Vodafone are some that come to mind immediately. The SSDS formula was first made popular by the Zoozoos in the first edition of the IPL, where everyday there was a new commercial on air. The viewer was thrilled to not only be treated with respect but also entertained.

But sadly, what was a case of many things coming together (in the case of the Zoozoos), has been reduced to a media strategy circus. Some of the brands mentioned above have a new commercial/edit on air everyday, which makes an already bad idea stretch painfully longer. The desperation to be seen has unfortunately lost out to the need to be remembered.