Idea helps the cause of literacy through its new campaign

afaqs! news bureau | afaqs! | Mumbai, July 01, 2008
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Cellular has come out with a new ad campaign featuring its brand ambassador, Hindi film actor Abhishek Bachchan. Earlier campaigns for Idea have focused on bringing people together, as in the Caste War and Cultural Difference SMS campaigns. Both campaigns aimed at integrating people through one common thought. And that forms the base for the new campaign, too, which takes up the issue of literacy, especially of the girl child.

The new campaign was launched in two phases. First came the 10 second teaser, which has Bachchan sitting and wondering how he can educate all the children in the country. Suddenly, he looks up with a smug grin and says, “Idea”, and the TV commercial ends.

A shot from the TVC

The main campaign is a 90 second TVC. It opens with a village girl being denied admission in a school because there are no vacancies. Bachchan is the priest and the principal of the school. While thinking of a solution, he hits upon the 'idea' of starting 'mobile' classrooms in villages. The teachers in the school have mobiles on their desks, while in the villages, children gather around a mobile to receive their lessons. The two way communication enables the teachers to teach both sets of students.

Idea also has two 25 second commercials. The creative agency for the campaign is Lowe India. The ad was shot by Chrome Films.

R Balakrishnan (popularly known as Balki), chairman and national creative director, Lowe India, says, “We think of a fresh idea every time. ‘Let's talk to each other' is the thought behind each ad we create. We want people to turn around and say, 'What an idea!' Also, unlike other brands, Bachchan plays a distinct character in each of our campaigns. He never plays himself.”

Sanjeev Aga, managing director, Idea Cellular, says, “We believe that new ideas can change our lives – a thought that has been central to our brand promise from the beginning.”

Education for all, especially the girl child, is what the team wanted to portray through this ad. To promote this thought, they have also tied up with an NGO, Nanhi Kali, and NDTV. Pradeep Shrivastava, chief marketing officer, Idea Cellular, says, “Right now, the project involves only Idea and NDTV, but we hope that more like-minded people will join us on this project.”

Shrivastava adds, “The project will be promoted extensively through a balanced media mix. We will be promoting it through television, print, out of home, digital and a fair amount of mall and on-ground activities.”

Idea will be launched in Mumbai in the near future.

© 2008 afaqs!

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