2009 was a remarkable year for the two greatest
democracies on the planet - India and The United States of
America. The year when both nations went for the most competitive
polls the world had ever witnessed, with fierce campaigns
exploiting the media and swaying popular sentiments
by the minute. In the beginning, 2009 was a year with bleak
prospects for both US and India. The Great Economic Recession
which could trace its epicentre to the reckless and unsustainable
lending practices resulting from the deregulation and
securitization of real estate mortgages in the US, when
millions plunged into massive unemployment, left the people
uncertain and panic-stricken. India was shaken by the
horrendous terror attacks in Mumbai.
We watched with bated breath, till the election results were
announced. Citizens longed for leaders who would deliver the
biggest democracies from the instability of the time. But
little known is this fact that the outcomes of two elections
were determined by two mascots.
Barack Obama was the mascot of hope not only for US but
also for the world. Back home, Kalavati - the Vidarbha widow
whose sorry plight moved Rahul Gandhi to such an extent
that he mentioned her in his reply during the no confidence
motion passed against the Indo - US nuke deal, changed the
fate of this country. The blueprints of Obama’s victory were
drafted two years before 2009.The two Davids - David Axelrod
and David Plouffe were the campaign managers of
Obama. They made sure that the image of this Illinois Senator
should be entrenched into the minds of the people, as
their saviour during that grim period. And guess what! Barack
Obama was the most viewed political icon on YouTube. His
name became a synonym for hope as he was on every social
networking site, be it Facebook or Orkut. His debates and
rallies captured a major media attention. In short it was in the
boardrooms of these two brilliant campaigners, that Obama’s
victory was scripted.
Talking about India, it was Kalavati who was the mascot of
helplessness of Vidarbha farmers who were committing
suicides every 16 hours .It was the sorry state of this woman
who lives with her 7 daughters and a son that resonated in
the famous speech by Rahul Gandhi.
The term mascot has a very strange origin. At the turn of the
century a French composer named Edmond Audran (1842-
1901) wrote a series of operettas, the most famous being La
Mascotte. This was a light hearted story of a virgin farm girl
who brought good luck to whoever employed her. The English
translation was called ‘Mascot’ and it could be anything – a
person, an animal or a fictitious character, provided it brings
good luck for that company.
Mascots are used as communication channels between the
consumer and the product. It is the mascot that enters your
living room to inform you which brand of cornflakes is the
healthiest and the tastiest or which airline you should trust to
ensure a safe and comfortable journey across the skies.
The success stories of Indian mascots date back to
1946 when Air India’s Bobby Kooka along with JWT’s Umesh
Rao created our own hospitable Maharaja. The Maharaja was
a suave, moustachioed man , donning red imperial robes, a
striped turban and pointed shoes. Maharaja became the face
of the public sector aviation giant for many years until Air
India and Indian Airlines were merged and our cherubic
Maharaja faded into oblivion.
How can I forget to mention the little dusky ,plumpy girl in a
white frock with cherry red polka dots and a ribbon, who was
recently listed in The Guinness Book of World Records for the
longest running ad campaign of the world. In 1967, even
Sylvester da Cunha would never have imagined in his wildest
dreams that his creation would make such an impact on the
psyche of Indian mothers in the years to come .His "utterly
butterly Amul" girl had replaced the Polson butter girl to
make her way into every Indian kitchen .Every Friday the
Amul girl with her innocent smile could be seen flaunting her
favourite butter in her hands on the billboards which were
deliberately placed at strategic locations.
Emulating the Amul example, Asian Paints came up with
Gattu designed by RK Laxman, The Little Boy with a paint
brush in one hand and a bucket of paint in the other sent this
message to Indian customers that it is only Asian Paints
which can help them preserve their home sweet homes.
No one can deny that 1970s and 80s were the golden period
for Indian ad fraternity. Lalitaji became a household name
when she urged every Indian woman to trust only Surf with
“Surf ki kharidari me hi samajhdari hai”. This confident
homemaker created by Alyque Padamsee went on to
become a household advisor of all mummies and chachis.
The Bunny of Lijjat Pappad , was a puppet designed by the
famous ventriloquist Ramdas Padhye. Shri Mahila Griha
Udyog promoted this adorable mascot , which easily secured
a place in every child's heart.
Not all mascots were gentle, cute and adorable. Creative
minds have also spawned stygian mascots whose devilish
looks helped many brands regain their lost market share.
The green tailed horned Onida devil took the onus of carrying
forward the Rs.1500 crore company Mirc. Electronics brand
Onida on his strong shoulders.
One of the most resplendent mascots was the black & white
“Common Man” of Times of India. Designed by RK Laxman in
1951 this man, in his simplicity, exhibited the follies and
frailties of a common man.TOI may have changed its format
and features but the Common Man is more than a mascot
today , turning out to be a powerful meme etched into every
Indian’s mind.
The list is incomplete if I don’t mention the cool guy Fido
Dido of 7up, the egg shaped Zoo Zoos of Vodafone and the
Hutch Pug , the impressive muscleman of MRF who extolls
longevity and durability of MRF tyres, Ronald McDonalds
who, with his orange coloured hair is always ready to serve
scrumptious burgers, smiling Colonel Sanders who assures
you of the lip smacking KFC chicken delights.
From Chintamoney of ICICI to the Cherry Charlie of Cherry
Blossom, mascots control your choice, and in effect the
market.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment