Some of the presentations were a real treat of sumptious images, rocking music and moving content: such were Mohit Jayal and V Sunil from Wieden and Kennedy Delhi. Here was another team of presenters who really connected with the audience.
They are probably best known for their “Incredible !ndia” campaign, which they took from the sublime:
To the outrageous. As the campaign continued, they subtly shifted the tone to be more confident – less the voice of the obsequious Indian guide, and more towards the humorous and acerbic tone of young contemporary India. For example, an image of tourists white river rafting, with the copy stating “Dont panic – there is always rebirth” – or of a tiger with the copy
“ Not all Indian are polite hospitable and vegetarian.”
They have a positive pride in their country and culture that appealed to me. India seems to have much in common with South Africa, and Mohit and Sunil were passionate in communicating their fascination with all that is quirky, individual and real. There is the same uneasy relationship with the overly recognised cultural icons such as the Taj Mahal, and a search for new, relevant, unique and fresh aspects of India.
Then there is the Royal Enfield “trip” campaign. Apparently the previous Royal Enfield campaigns were very much Bollywood clichés. They decided to focus on actual Royal Enfield owners themselves- a sort of “diamond in the rough” idea to show who actually rides these bikes. To let the viewer into the world of Enfield riders.
The copy includes the licence number of each person, and a description:
The copy reads:
I like how there are all types of people here – young women, old men, teenagers…
Her copy:
According to Mohit, young Indian men have a habit of staying in their comfort zone, living with mom and dad when they should be moving off. The “just go” message of this campaign had a special resonance for them.
Continuing this trend of “keep it real” was their ad for the Nokia Navigator.
You can watch the ad here
And here are some screenshots. A young girl taking a taxi, gets lost. Somehow, all the signage in the city is in sympathy with her state…
She starts using the navigator device on her phone and now everything starts consipiring to show her the way. Pools of water morph into arrows. Crowds of strangers point and shout “Go Left! Keep Straight!”
Birds in the sky, shop signage, everything is helping her reach home. Its worth watching.
Another add features some stunning visuals of Indian trucks, and two drivers trying to find their phone. There were also some super cool ones featuring gaming on cell phones, but I could not find these on youtube…
Here was another presentation that stressed the importance of the individual, of communicating directly to a real person, rather than presenting an ideal.
They shared so many other images and projects that I dont have the time to repeat here. The message that stood out for me was their belief in “how capable we are at our grass roots”. That is certainly one that rings true here at home as well.
Masha du Toit 
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