Montblanc releases its first-ever TVC through the Indian market

Montblanc, the century-old manufacturer of sophisticated and luxurious writing instruments, has decided to release its first TVC. Globally, the brand had never used the medium till date, but has now decided to go on-air, starting from the Indian sub-continent.

The TVC has been created at the Mumbai wing of Meridian Communications by a team led by Rensil D'Silva and Harshad Sharma. The agency won the account about six months ago.

The thought for the TVC comes from the insight that the writing instrument is so exclusive and exquisite that there is a story behind every Montblanc pen. It is a pen meant for those who have the power within them to write their own destiny.

The film depicts the relationship between a father and a daughter -- portrayed by Anil Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor -- and how the bond between them is further strengthened by the legacy that is imbibed in the pen.

Interestingly, this is Anil Kapoor's first commercial, and also the first time that the father and daughter will be seen together on screen.

Till now, the brand had only used print as its lead medium globally. So, what prompted it to go for TV?

Dilip Doshi, chairman and managing director, Montblanc, clarifies, "TV as a medium is probably the best way to traverse the length and breadth of this country. I am very pleased with the global management that they went ahead with the medium and used it for the first time in India."

On choosing the Anil and Sonam Kapoor duo, Doshi says, "It's the sheer emotions that the father-daughter duo exudes that prompted us to cast them. The brand is about heritage, legacy and rich culture. Therefore, we have maintained the script and the visual depiction on the same lines too, to help the audience connect better with the brand."

The campaign comprises a single TVC, which apart from being aired on lifestyle, sports, news, movie and other channels, will also be aired in cinema theatres. The brand has a niche TG and plans to reach out to the top metros, along with places like Chandigarh and Ludhiana.

Subhrajit Kar, branch head, Meridian Communications, Mumbai maintains that the campaign is supposed to serve the sole purpose of generating awareness about the brand. "The brand wants to reach out to a larger set of people and talk about its inherent values. Though it has been around for some time now in India, there is still a subset of people who are unaware of the brand," he says.

For the record, Montblanc has been known for generations as a manufacturer of sophisticated and luxurious writing instruments. In the past decade, the product range has been expanded to include exquisite watches, jewellery, writing accessories, luxury leather goods and belts and eyewear. Montblanc has operations in more than 70 countries and sells its products exclusively through its international network of authorized retailers, jewellers and over 360 Montblanc Boutiques worldwide.