The demonetization scenario that started in India on 8 November 2016, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi informed its citizens that 86% of the country’s liquidities will be declared null within next 50 days led to a chaotic situation in the vast and populous country. At the stroke of midnight, Modi announced that all 500 and 1,000 rupee notes will be cut off from circulation. Instead, a new 2,000-rupee banknote would be added. Although this step is considered highly controversial, the Prime Minister’s extreme change is a modality to fight corruption, and to clean out the black-market money supply.
Fortune Kachi Ghani Mustard Oil — the leader among mustard oil brands in Delhi and North India — launched a new campaign promoting its product which is subtly making a link to the corruption issue. Released last week, just in time for the Indian elections, the film touches a sensitive topic: the funding of a political event. The main idea of the video is that adulteration (or “milavati“) in oil can have a negative impact on people’s health, just like corruption’s effect on society.
Concerned about this matter, Fortune Kachi Ghani Mustard Oil got together with Ogilvy & Mather Bangalore, and launched a short video, which starts with a group of party members having lunch. The camera focuses on a member talking about the hard work involved into the election, mentioning to the party leader that they should agree with accepting funds without worrying “too much about what’s right or wrong.” The party leader seems like she is not listening to what the man said, establishing that she doesn’t submit to corruption.
In the context where “milavat” and “corruption” are synonyms, the lady called Nirmalaji highlights the fact that she doesn’t accept this antisocial act by inviting other member present at the table (called Dubeyji) to try her food cooked with Fortune Kachi Ghani Mustard Oil, a 100% pure mustard oil, drawing the man’s attention to the fact that party funding shouldn’t include any suspicious sources.
The scene ends up with the woman’s reply to the man’s beliefs: “[…] about funding, I was thinking… Even our political agenda shouldn’t be adulterated.” According to the press release, the film’s message is to “ensure that consumers realize the issue of adulteration in mustard oils and think twice before buying their mustard oil.”
In 2015, Ogilvy Mumbai worked on a new campaign named Beauty Tips by Reshma along with the organization Make Love, Not Scars. The initiative features a series of videos in which Reshma — a victim of acid attacks – is sharing various beauty tips. This campaign pushed agency Ogilvy & Mather India to success in 2016, when it won all three titles of Agency of the Year at the Asian Marketing Effectiveness Awards (AME) event, which took place in Singapore.
The Indian agency was recognized as the best in Asia, winning in the following sections of AME: Advertising Effectiveness, Digital Strategy, and Media Strategy. Also, the advertising agency won a Glass Lion at the 2016 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity for its work for the non-governmental organization.
Credits:
Agency: Ogilvy & Mather, Bangalore
Executive Creative Directors: AzazulHaque, Mahesh Gharat
SVP & Head of Advertising: Tithi Ghosh
SVP, Planning: Sreenesh Bhat
Creative Team: Mukesh Kumar, Deepak Thammaiah
Strategy & Planning: ShreyaaRanjan
Account Management: Sandra Patrao, Abhay Menon
Client: Adani Wilmar Ltd.
Brand: Fortune Premium Kachi Ghani Mustard Oil