Sign up for afaqs! Newsletters
Ajay Devgan, Harbhajan Singh and Geeta Basra star in Ogilvy ads to promote Aarogya Setu
It's the second round of ads from Ogilvy in its anti-Coronavirus campaign for the Government of India.
Ogilvy has returned with two more ads this week after it released the 'Mask Force' ad last week for the Government of India. The agency has created a distinct and engaging anti-Coronavirus campaign for the government.
This week, the first ad features Bollywood actor Ajay Devgan in a double role as himself and as a bodyguard named 'Setu'. We see Devgan the actor tell Setu he doesn't need a bodyguard but Setu explains why he should.
When prodded, Setu explains he can protect Devgan from the virus by alerting him if there's any Coronavirus positive person near him and this way the actor's family will be safe too. We're then told the bodyguard isn't just for the actor but for all of us in the form of a mobile app, Aarogya Setu.
The second ad features former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh and his wife, actress Geeta Basra. It is an extension of the Mask Force ad released last week. In it, the couple shows how we can make a mask at home using a clean cotton cloth and two rubber bands. Singh stresses that there shouldn't be any space between the face and the mask.
Also, Basra makes crucial points that our faces and masks must always remain clean, one must never wear a wet mask, to never share a face mask with anybody, and to download the Aarogya Setu app if you wish to see how to make a mask.
Piyush Pandey, Ogilvy’s Chief Creative Officer Worldwide & Executive Chairman India, said, “Ogilvy is committed to help the government in its massive effort to fight COVID-19. We are constantly delivering simple and effective messages to encourage the people of India to come together to fight this battle. We are grateful to Geeta Basra, Harbhajan Singh and Ajay Devgan, for partnering us in delivering these strong messages. Our gratitude also goes out to Neha Kaul of Corcoise Films and Rajiv Rao of Nirvana Films, for putting these films together against very difficult deadlines.”
Last week, the first ad of this campaign was released that featured India's most-popular cricketers. They spoke a line or two each but when stitched together, the messaging was clear – make a mask at home and always wear it when you step out.