How Talented tapped into a native publicity art form for Myntra’s Pongal campaign in Tamil Nadu

A brightly lit goddess Amman, a life-size cutout of erstwhile CM MG Ramachandran (MGR), a glittering Rajinikanth—from festivals to elections to cinema releases and even funerals, such luminous images are a common sight across Tamil Nadu. And now, propping itself up on these bamboo structures, Myntra is making in-roads into the South Indian state. 

As part of its Pongal campaign Palich Palich Pongal, the fashion e-commerce brand has put up four such light-art installations in different parts of Chennai. Featuring pop culture references and animated with sequential looped lighting, these installations are almost real-life GIFs. The OOH activation has also received a further lease of life on social media through a campaign film.

The campaign was conceptualised by Talented and executed by the Chennai-based production house Katha Chithram Productions. The brand approached the agency with a simple brief- establishing Myntra’s presence in Tamil Nadu. 

“Myntra is a well-established and widely recognised brand on a pan-Indian scale. However, in Tamil Nadu it has ample room for growth,” says PG Aditiya, CCO, Talented.

The Tamil Nadu market is distinct and intriguing, often serving as a testing ground for brands. Given the prevalence of strong local brands, it is known for being a challenging market to penetrate.

“Only a fraction of national brands succeed in establishing a notable presence there. The market's nuances are such that triumph in Tamil Nadu is often seen as a precursor to success in any part of the country. Within the marketing community, Tamil Nadu has enjoyed a somewhat legendary status for decades,” he adds.

With the state’s harvest festival Pongal, Myntra has now embarked on its journey to establish a strong foothold in the region.

The campaign has a simple message. All the products highlighted in the art installations—shirt, sunglasses, veshti and sari- are available on Myntra. The platform can help people recreate these iconic film references and feel like their on-screen heroes.

The agency proposed the concept of innovating with the local light art installations and Myntra enthusiastically embraced it. After the government banned illegal hoardings in Chennai in 2008, there has been limited availability of traditional media in the city.

“Unlike other states, the streets of Chennai do not predominantly feature billboards and posters. The ban on outdoor hoardings has required innovative approaches, and non-traditional forms of outdoor expression, like festive art, have thrived. Though these have mostly been associated with political campaigns and religious imagery, we sought to transform this into a storytelling medium,” he says.

The pivotal task was the actual construction and mounting of the light art. This was followed by a promo film backed by original music, created by Balasarangan. 

For an art form that has existed for several decades, it did not have a particular name. The agency and the production house referred to it by several different names, until they asked the song’s lyricist Super Subu to create a name for it- and he coined the term Oli Padam (light picture).

“While the activation primarily took place in Chennai, the goal was for it to become an outdoor-led viral campaign on social media, reaching audiences across Tamil Nadu. To enhance the impact, we introduced the idea of an original soundtrack, leading to the creation of a complete music video experience,” says Aditiya.

However, rather than adopting a conventional media-first approach, the agency focussed on prioritising the story. Katha Chithram Productions also deviated from its usual approach prioritising the essence of the message and letting that guide the placement of the artwork.

Shruthi Nandagopal, director and producer at Katha Chithram Productions, says as a production house, initially, outdoor advertising wasn't its primary focus. Typically, it's an add-on to a campaign where it only provides stills to the agency. This campaign, however, centred around outdoor promotion with the promo film being the add-on. 

“The use of traditional serial lights, a common sight in Chennai, caught my attention. These lights are deeply ingrained in our culture, akin to everyday elements like posters on walls. Despite the fading popularity of hoardings, these lights persist, adorning the city during various celebrations. Taking on the challenge of incorporating a brand into this cultural phenomenon was intriguing. The focus on storytelling rather than the conventional media-first approach added a layer of complexity,” she says.

Shruthi narrates how her team transformed the traditional light art into an advertising medium. Thangam, an unassuming artist in his 60s, from M. S. Audio Suresh, sketched the computer-designed artwork on a temple floor. “Only these temples have these large concrete floors to work on. So all these artworks happen in temples,” she says.

They then tied up bamboo sticks to create the structure, like the four-line notebooks one used to practise handwriting back in school, and strung these lights on top of it. It took 15 days just to create the four art installations. 

The next step was to identify locations to place these installations. It identified four key destinations—Koyembedu Bus Terminus, Rohini Theatre, Panagal Park and Woods Road.

People return to their hometowns from Chennai during Pongal. So it placed the installation outside the bus terminus, over the flyover. This catered to both the commuters and the pedestrians. With regard to Rohini Theatre, it was an ideal destination to target cinema enthusiasts. There is always a film release during Pongal. It is also situated along a metro line and near a flyover. 

“The aim was to capture attention not only from movie buffs but also from passersby commuting on the metro and on the road,” Shruthi says. 

Meanwhile, Panagal Park in T. Nagar is synonymous with shopping and festivity. Securing a spot there ensured maximum visibility amidst the bustling festival crowd. The installation on Woods Road, adjacent to offices and alongside various commuting routes, also helped it reach a broader audience. 

“We deliberately maintained demographic neutrality and financial inclusivity, avoiding an overly urban-centric perception. Even the campaign's textual elements, including captions and supers, were deliberately localised. The idea is to convey that Myntra has something for everyone,” she adds.

Executing this campaign was not without its challenges. And it was not just creative hurdles but extended to logistical aspects as well. The first challenge was to obtain permits for this unconventional form of advertising. Mounting the artwork at significant heights, a departure from the usual eye-level visibility, added another layer of complexity. 

“Despite the creative satisfaction and the highs and lows of the process, navigating legal and practical obstacles became a crucial aspect of the project,” she adds.

Myntra has also created another Pongal ad for Tamil Nadu - Pongal oh Pongal.