Never mind passport, here's my Aadhaar card...

In the age of cause-vertising, something as simple as 'chai' can stand for something as complex as inclusivity. Brooke Bond Red Label tea has always stood for the cause of looking beyond stereotypes and forging real connections. Its latest ad, released on the occasion of Republic Day, kept that sentiment alive.

The ad tackles the issue of geographical discrimination. An employee at a ticket counter mistakes a woman's identity and asks for her passport and in a 'blink and you'll miss it' moment, she hands over an aadhaar card which has an address at Meghalaya. The sheepish man offers the woman a cup of chai, which she accepts with a smile.

Blink and you might miss it, but this is a clear indicator of the issue the ad is trying to tackle

On the topic of not buying into stereotypes blindly, Shiva Krishnamurthy, Vice President, Tea & Foods (HUL), said, "Brooke Bond Red Label's purpose is to make India more inclusive. We are always looking for opportunities to try and challenge stereotypes that come in the way of being more inclusive."

How well does this ad work in terms of addressing the theme of togetherness? Anupama Ramaswamy, national creative director at Dentsu Impact said “Honestly this one for me is actually a very real story. It happens all the time. I have witnessed this happening in front of me once. We all behave like this unknowingly. The only thing I would have done differently is not spelt out the idea about chehre and insaan. With this campaign they have taken this whole idea of taste of togetherness to the next level.”

Nima Namchu

For Nima D.T. Namchu, former chief creative officer at Havas Worldwide, the ad struck a personal chord. “Highly commendable idea and film as I too have been faced with such a situation while visiting some monuments, including the Taj. However, the Aadhaar Card is not the right document for proof of nationality as anyone (including foreigners) residing in the country for more than a stipulated period are supposed to get one. I think they should have used a voter’s card or an Indian passport itself. Having said that, appreciate the intent of the communication.”

This is not the first time the brand's ads have encouraged people to look beyond what's on the surface. In 2014, teaming up with Ogilvy India, Red Label brought us an ad that took on religious discrimination and the Hindu-Muslim divide.

PFT Brands is the creative service division of Prime Focus Technologies (PFT)- the agency that worked on this ad. According to Pranav Chaturvedi, PFT Brands’ Associate Vice President, "There is a huge responsibility attached to crafting content for campaigns that convey a social message. Our objective was to create a thought-provoking narrative that will trigger a positive attitude change among consumers."

The brand has taken on Hindu-Muslim relations in the past; in 2018 they released an ad for Ganesh Chaturthi where a sculptor takes a potential customer around his shop, showing him different idols he can purchase; in the end, it is revealed that the sculptor is Muslim. The simple line - 'This too is worship' - from the sculptor sums up the ad and the message.

A still from the Swaad Apnepan Ka, Shree Ganesh Apnepan Ka ad created in 2018

Religious divide is not the only form of inclusivity that an ad for Red Label has taken on. An ad released in 2014 titled 'The Taste of Togetherness', invited people to sit together at a kiosk at a train station in Mumbai to share a cup of tea. What follows isn't a regular tea-time conversation. An insurance agent comes face to face with a call girl for the first time and the ad shows them eventually bonding over a cup of chai.

ALSO READ: Brooke Bond Red Label sings a song of 'happy'ness

In a country as diverse as India, the latest ad in their kitty tries to tackle more stereotypes with a fresh take on their long-running stand of inclusivity.

Production: Prime Focus Technologies

Executive Producer: Pranav Chaturvedi

Director: Albin Jaison

DOP: Akhilesh Shrivastava

Producer: Vishal Shetty

Art Director: Mrinal Das

Costume Designer: Quba Syed

Hair & Makeup: Nilesh Patkar

Music Director: Kim Koshie

First Assistant Director: Shreya Singh

Line Producer: Shiva Konar

Production Manager: Aadil Khan

Editor: Vikram Kale

Post Production: Prime Focus Technologies