Creating an ‘unbreakable’ piece of communication

It’s hard to miss two things in Mumbai these days – the manner in which people have tended to ‘move on’ with life since the 7/11 bomb blasts, and the ‘Mumbai Unbreakable’ campaign, which is so very visible at every busy corner in the city.

The campaign, created by Dentsu Marcom for the Mumbai Police, was launched post the blasts. The objective of the campaign, apart from creating general awareness about terrorism, is to invoke people to get up and take individual precautionary action against it.

The brief given to the agency by the Mumbai Police: to appeal to the citizens of Mumbai and show them how they can help themselves by being careful about suspicious persons and unidentified objects.

Dentsu conducted some brief research among the general public in trains and buses before deciding upon the communication strategy. The findings of the research revealed that the city had become so content and engrossed in its quest to move on with life that its people did not bother to take any of the counteractive measures required in a critical situation. Therefore, there was a need for a communication message that would jolt them out of their complacence and reinstate their pride in their city.

According to Adrian Mendonza, executive creative director, Dentsu Marcom, the concept of ‘Mumbai Unbreakable’ establishes a connect with Mumbaikars and encourages them to think that terrorism should not be allowed to have its way. “Instead of communicating the precautions in a mundane manner, the ads have been made to appear more interactive and forthcoming,” Mendonza says. “They don’t preach to the audience, but convey their social message like any other advertising communication, provoking a reaction nonetheless.”

The campaign features a distinctive red and black colour scheme and uses a special jagged font to bring home the message more effectively. The campaign was rolled out in two phases. Phase 1 used the power of words alone, with strong messages pasted inside buses, local trains, suburban train stations and shopping malls. Thought provoking words such as ‘Don’t let terrorism travel on this bus/train’, ‘You’re not stupid if you look under your seat’, ‘Spare a minute. It can save many lives’ and ‘Don’t let terrorism shop in this mall’ were scrawled across these posters and each message was followed by a note which said, ‘Unidentified baggage? Suspicious persons? Call 100/1090. A Mumbai Police Initiative’, followed by the words, ‘Mumbai Unbreakable’.

In Phase 2, photographs were used in cinema slides and hoardings. The photo of a little girl carried the message, ‘Don’t let terrorism kill innocence’. The photo of a woman said, ‘Terrorism does not see a gentle housewife. It only sees destruction’. The photo of an old lady had the caption, ‘Terrorism respects nothing. Not even old age’.

The entire campaign was supported by the General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC). Currently, 58 hoardings across the city display the photos of the little girl, housewife and old lady and remind people to do their bit to make Mumbai truly unbreakable.

In all, there are 15,000 posters used on bus back panels and 22,000 posters pasted inside buses, local trains and suburban train stations. Fifty large shopping malls display posters and 171 cinema screens in the city showcase campaign slides at the start of the movie and during the interval of each show.

© 2006 agencyfaqs!