‘Paandemonium’ on MTV

MTV has launched a new image campaign ‘Dharti ke laal’- The Brotherhood of Paan, achieving yet another milestone in their mindless communication strategy

MTV India’s new image campaign breaks all rules of brand association and brand image building. The channel, in its newest attempt at creativity, is surpassing all limits by ‘staining’ its brand communication with ‘paan’ (betel leaves).

MTV India has rolled out its new image campaign, called ‘MTV Dharti Ke Laal – The Brotherhood of Paan’. In simple words, the campaign revolves around ‘paan’, the age-old digestive devoured by Indians, especially in the rural areas.

After the ‘Gaseous Clay’, ‘The Liftman’ and ‘Poga’ campaigns, this one too aims at creating a phenomenon out of a local character or habit. Since November 25, the channel has rolled out a series of 12 promos featuring ‘paanwallahs’ and connoisseurs of ‘paan’. All the 12 ‘Dharti ke Laal’ promos are a minute to two in duration and have been conceptualised by MTV and directed by Flying Saucer Films.

The campaign simply glorifies the ‘paan-eating’ culture and MTV hopes to capitalise on it. “We want to move from being a channel to being a brand,” says Aditya Swamy, vice-president, marketing, MTV India. A monosite named ‘www.dhartikelaal.com’, which will highlight the history and language of paan, has been created.

Apart from this, the channel will go overboard in its branding exercise by creating an exclusive ‘dharti ke laal’ paan. ‘Paans’ will be sold at traffic signals and renowned ‘paan’ shops, which will be branded, as and when the campaign breaks out, across Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata. Around 150 buses and movie theatres (during Dhoom 2) will be extensively used to communicate the message across to viewers.

Even if one desperately tries to find out a common thread between the campaign and the channel, it would be a futile attempt. “This is just one of the crazy things that MTV is known to do. And like all our past campaign, this will surely go a long way in making MTV a bigger brand,” justifies Swamy.

Dismissing any rationality in it, Cyrus Oshidar, senior vice president, creative & content, MTV India, says, “It’s fun, it’s unpredictable and it’s completely MTV! Only MTV can make ‘paan-spitting’ cool.”

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