Mankind Pharma's new ad thanks the teachers born of the COVID pandemic

You do not need to be in a classroom setting to learn from a teacher. They're everywhere, only if you are willing to learn. It's also what must have been discussed during Mankind Pharma and ADK Fortune's brainstorming sessions for this 'Teacher's Day' film.

In the film, we see an elderly person, who wakes up early to make single rose bouquets because he wants to wish all his teachers on Teacher's Day. But, instead of going to his school or his teachers' homes, we see him visit unexpected spots.

He visits a clinic, that's not yet opened, to thank Dr Joy for teaching us that God lives among us. His next stop is the closed shutters of Mr Kumar's pharmacy. There is a single rose bouquet for him because he taught us selflessness. He then visits the residence of Maharashtra Police's Akhlas Ahmed to thank him for teaching us the meaning for sacrifice. And finally, he lays the bouquet outside cleaner Raju's door because he taught us the dignity of labour; no job is too small.

As he walks back home, we see two kids say to him, 'Masterji, Happy Teacher's Day'. It just goes to show that regardless of who we are, we can always choose to learn from everyone around us.

Commenting on the campaign, Joy Chatterjee, DGM, Mankind Pharma, said, "The way doctors, pharmacists, police and sanitation workers have worked amidst the Coronavirus pandemic is truly commendable. There's absolutely no doubt in the fact that they are not just Corona warriors, but our frontline teachers as well. This film is our heartfelt tribute to all of them as we wish them #HappyTeachersDay."

"We are really moved and proud of the way our doctors, pharmacists, police and sanitation workers have held the fort for the nation. There’s so much to learn from them. Humanity now has a new benchmark altogether,” said Subroto Pradhan, managing partner, ADK Fortune Communications, Gurgaon.

“While doing so, the creative challenge was to make sure not to lose focus on teachers who’ve dedicated their lives to shape the minds of our future citizens at schools and universities. Glad we managed to do that seamlessly”, added Uday Rao, executive creative director, ADK Fortune.

Another striking aspect of the ad is the ticker-like statement that runs at the bottom of the screen: 'This film is only for creative representation. During this pandemic, we strongly recommend wearing a mask. '

It's an interesting message and can resolve two assumptions: Viewers could either think that the ad was shot before the pandemic (but wait, a Teacher's Day shot before the pandemic?), or criticise the actors in the ad for not wearing a mask.