Auto rickshaws -- the new advertising medium in the Capital

Recently, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) lifted the ban on advertising on commercial vehicles. Cashing in on this, Plannet Media, a Delhi-based advertising agency, is all set to turn auto rickshaws into an OOH format.

The agency is in the process of finishing the registration formalities for a fleet of 700 auto rickshaws. Currently, it can offer 25 rickshaws to brands interested in running their ad campaigns.

Discussing ways to capture the attention of any defined TG, Divyansh Batra, director, Plannet Media, feels that there is a need to keep the brand in the public eye constantly. "An auto rickshaw gives a loud, colourful view of a brand to potential customers, at an average of 18 hours of exposure everyday," he says.

Initially, for exterior displays, the agency will use a combination of leatherette and flex. There will be no innovations possible on auto rickshaws, because that would involve altering their shape -- which is not allowed by the MCD.

For advertising purposes, the agency will provide an auto rickshaw for a minimum of three months, at Rs 3,500 per month; while the MCD will be paid a license fee of Rs 600 per month.

The agency also plans to offer monitoring services by taking regular pictures of the ad displayed on each rickshaw.

Batra shares, "A single auto rickshaw can reach as many as 1 lakh people in a campaign of three months. The finest part about our endeavour is the extra income provided to auto rickshaw drivers, which is absolutely tax-free."

The agency is in talks with a leading automobile company for an ad campaign to start early next month.

For the record, Plannet Media is the advertising division of Plannet Esolutions, a three-year old company providing human resource services.

Only time will tell if Delhi's auto rickshaws will transform into a new avatar -- an unconventional, yet cost-effective advertising tool. Keep watching this space for more news on transit advertising.