Mumbai: 7UP, a refreshing drink, has launched its refreshing summer campaign featuring brand ambassador and superstar Rashmika Mandanna. The film showcases Rashmika’ s experience with 7UP as it brings alive the brand’s new positioning ‘Super Duper Refresher’ across India.
Opening on a sunny, sweltering day, the new film features Mandanna requesting a shopkeeper for a 7UP. The shopkeeper gives Mandanna a chilled bottle of 7UP, but he does so with caution, which leaves her puzzled. Mandanna opens the bottle of 7UP, and the scene shifts to a distant glacier, where a blob of water, creatively depicting refreshment, begins to form and then travels across snow-clad mountains, moving towards Mandanna as she brings the bottle closer to her mouth. The bottle of 7UP here is like a magnet that pulls the ultimate source of refreshment towards you, irrespective of where you are.
The blob, now a massive bubble of refreshment, grows larger by the second. As Rashmika opens the bottle, the bubble of refreshment rushes towards her with even greater speed. The shopkeeper, foreseeing what is going to happen next, opens an umbrella as the bubble of refreshment approaches. The bubble ultimately bursts over Rashmika in the middle of the market, leaving her drenched in water, signifying the exhilarating feeling of refreshment that 7UP can bring with every sip. The film cuts away to the bottle of 7UP and the new ‘Super Duper Refresher’ positioning.
Speaking about the new campaign, Naseeb Puri, senior marketing director, flavours & energy, PepsiCo India senior marketing director, flavours & energy Naseeb Puri said, “There’s nothing consumers seek more from our category than refreshment and, with this new campaign, we’re placing 7UP bang in the middle of the refreshment narrative. 7UP, with its sparkling lemon and lime flavour, is not just a refresher – it’s The ‘Super Duper Refresher’ that uplifts you, be it on a hot summer day or at any other moment when you simply need a lift. Rashmika’s bright energy is of course the perfect pairing for 7UP. We’re confident that consumers will love this new campaign as it rings so true to everything that 7UP stands for.”
Commenting on the new TVC launch, brand ambassador Mandanna said, “I am delighted to be associated with 7UP, a brand that has been a refreshing influence in our lives for years. It was such a fun experience working on the film, which is a burst of super-duper refreshment and leaves you wanting for more. I cannot wait for my fans to see me in this new avatar.”
Mumbai: Syska, a brand in the personal care appliances category, has celebrated Women’s Day with a content-led campaign by By Design, focusing on the women’s range of products. The campaign is aimed at promoting awareness and consideration for Syska’s women’s personal care appliances range by using a combination of stylized illustrations and content that work both for the product and a woman’s persona.
The campaign, which will run on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, features grid views on Instagram with a series of posts that carry playful messages. The posts are intended to engage and entertain the target audience, using a slightly fun and funky approach that lends a very modern vibe to the Women’s Day communication.
In addition to the Instagram grid views, Syska will also run web banners on leading websites on 8 March to promote the campaign and its women’s range of personal care appliances. As part of the Women’s Day campaign, Syska is also running a contest on Instagram, where users can win a specially curated Syska hamper by decoding the names of world-class sporting champions who have made India proud.
Syska executive director Gurumukh Uttamchandani said, “I am pleased to announce that Syska has once again raised the bar for innovation and efficiency in the consumer electronics industry. As a company, we remain focused on staying at the forefront of technology and design, and we look forward to continuing to exceed the expectations of our customers in the years to come. We wanted to celebrate the spirit of women and By Design came up with a unique campaign which is focused around our tag line Styles you as you where we celebrate individuality of every woman.”
By Design founder & CCO Rahul Gupta said, “At By Design, our mission is to enable brands in their journey towards market leadership. We are glad to work with Syska for their personal care appliances category amongst others and what better occasion than women’s day to create awareness about the brand, setting the tone for what’s to come.”
Mumbai: IndianOil’s new digital topical film on Holi, conceptualised by Kinnect, a part of FCB Group India, brings out a unique perspective, showcasing how this Holi goes the distance to be the colour in someone’s life. #BeTheColour In a narrative that spells a cheerful journey, the film showcases how if one decides to go the distance, life rewards you with experiences that are both fulfilling and filled with a larger purpose than oneself.
Speaking on the launch, IndianOil executive director (CC & Branding) Sandeep Sharma said, “Our latest digital film on Holi, brought to life by Kinnect, reminds us that the festival of colours is not just about adding colour to our lives, but about going the distance to add colour to someone else’s. This heart-warming narrative inspires us to strive for a larger purpose and shows us how life rewards those who do. It’s a beautiful portrayal of the human spirit and a timely message for us all.”
“For a brand that epitomises ‘going the distance’ in its products and ethos, the film captures how this simple state of mind can give spreading colour a whole new meaning. The simplicity of the storyline, the mundane chore that depicts everyday life for us, and an unexpected but rewarding experience come together to create an unforgettable celebration of the human spirit,” states Kinnect ECD Ashish Tambe.
Mumbai: Infectious Advertising has roped in Shabbir Motiwala as head of production. Prior to taking on this new role, he was an independent producer and won the Cannes Lions Grand Prix in 2022 for the Killer Pack campaign.
Motiwala started his career in advertising as an Assistant Director at UTV in 1993. Later he was appointed as an agency producer at Ambience Advertising; he then became a director and directed more than 50 commercials. Afterwards, Motiwala was appointed the head of production at BBH India, working with talented creatives from across the globe, including the great Hegarty to eventually settling into the role of an executive producer.
Over the years, Motiwala has worked with reputed brands such as Honda, Coca-Cola, Panasonic, Nissan, Toyota, Unilever, P&G, Reckitt, ICICI, Colgate Palmolive, Google, Castrol, and many others. He has earned multiple awards at Cannes Lions, and The White Pencil at the D&AD as a producer.
Commenting on his new role, Motiwala said, “As an agency producer, I was familiar with the leadership team at Infectious even before they started their own company. When they approached me about the head of production role, I was thrilled. I appreciate their transparent ethos that focuses on craft and their single-minded vision of setting up an in-house production team.”
“As the head of production, I am committed to bringing in talented individuals who excel in film production and digital technology. It is important to me to create an environment where the team feels supported in taking risks and trying out newer things, pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation. By working with specialists, we can add value to our productions and continue to grow in this ever-evolving industry,” Motiwala concluded.
Commenting on the appointment, Infectious Advertising CEO & managing partner Nisha Singhania and creative chairman & managing partner Ramanuj Shastry said, “By 2024, videos will make up more than 74 per cent of all mobile internet traffic. Facebook users watch 8 billion videos per day. Enough said. Video is king. And no matter how meticulously drawn out your content strategy, you are only as good as your producer. Well, we lucked out a bit! Motiwala joined us with immediate effect. With three decades of invaluable and hands-on experience, Motiwala brings an X-Factor to ‘Infectious content’ that is sure to delight our existing and future clientele. Khushamdeed, Shabbir!”
Mumbai: Noise, India’s connected lifestyle tech brand, is geared up to celebrate the spirit of women’s day by showing their support for the women in blue. As an associate partner for Women’s IPL 2023, Noise will run their film ‘Transform like Taapsee’, featuring Taapsee Pannu. Joining in the spirit of Women’s Day, the film depicts brand’s core ethos of breaking stereotypes by listening to their noise within and showcases brand’s love and support towards the team, truly exemplifying the grit and determination it takes to make it big. The film will be aired starting today, 4th March during all the 22 matches on connected TV and linear SD+HD channels including Sports 18 and Jio Cinema.
Noise co- founder Gaurav Khatri said, “At Noise have always aimed at creating a brand that resonates with the young Indian audience and what resonates with them better than cricket? Women in cricket perfectly exemplify our brand’s core philosophy of listening to the noise within. At Noise, we are proud to join in the celebration of Women’s IPL 2023 and we are certain our young audience will relate to it while they indulge in the upcoming cricket series.”
Starring Taapsee Pannu, the film resonates with the women dominating the world of cricket as it highlights the story of the choices she has made in her life, equating those with being a Noisemaker. It brings to light how Tapsee decided to go against all odds and listen to the Noise within, like the women in blue.
The film calls out the brand’s determination to encourage the youth and women to listen to the noise within. It further highlights its support towards the women dominating the world of cricket.
Mumbai: Kimberly Clark’s brand Huggies partners with actress Sonam Kapoor Ahuja for the second phase of the ‘We got you, baby’ campaign marking the relaunch of the Huggies Complete Comfort® range in India. The brand sees this as a strong and organic collaboration given Sonam is a lead celebrity influencer for young women and moms. The film, which has Sonam taking up the brand’s #HuggiesFlipAndDipChallenge will be deployed in five languages on digital platforms and TV.
Conceptualized and executed by Ogilvy India, the film features Sonam Kapoor Ahuja taking the Huggies challenge involving two simple steps to test for softness and absorption which are the most important attributes of a diaper for moms. Seeing for herself how Huggies outperforms the other diapers, she voices her decision to join the Huggies mom club by choosing the Huggies complete comfort range for her baby.
Kimberly Clark India marketing director Saakshi Verma Menon said, “We are delighted to welcome Sonam to the Huggies family. As a new mom, I know Sonam is most concerned about what’s best for her baby and we are glad to be part of this beautiful motherhood journey with her. Sonam took the #HuggiesFlipAndDipChallenge and really saw for herself why Huggies are more comfortable than regular diapers. We really look forward to working with her to spread our message and be a part of the motherhood journey of moms across India”.
She further added, “Huggies is known for using innovative technologies to make high-quality products ensuring the highest standard of baby care. The #HuggiesFlipAndDipChallenge is the next phase in our ‘We got you, baby’ campaign. The idea behind this campaign is to demonstrate the superiority of Huggies in a manner that consumers can see and try themselves.”
“I am super excited to be associated with this iconic brand and use its new range. When I said yes to the ‘Huggies Flip and Dip challenge’ I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I was surprised at how soft and absorbent Huggies is. As a mom, I always want the best for my baby. When it comes to my baby’s diaper, I absolutely cannot compromise on comfort. This challenge made me realize why lakhs of moms choose Huggies for their babies- its comfort and convenience all in one,” said Ahuja on her association with Huggies.
Extensive research and lab tests show that Huggies delivers great absorption and is softer vs other diapers. In addition, consumer studies also reveal that nine out of ten moms feel that Huggies is more comfortable than their regular diapers and 100 per cent of moms feel that Huggies provides complete comfort for their babies. The #HuggiesFlipAndDipChallenge highlights the benefits of this new restaged range and with Sonam in this campaign. The brand successfully establishes its superior softness through the flip test and superior absorption through the dip test in less than a minute.
Commenting on the film, Ogilvy India CCO Sukesh Kumar Nayak said, “The Huggies Flip and Dip Challenge clearly demonstrates to all parents the prowess of Huggies Complete Comfort. And an innovative product like this, needed a credible endorser. Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, as a new mom herself, was the perfect person to take the challenge. The results left her stunned and we are confident just like Sonam, parents will also see the benefits of this new restaged Huggies range and switch over.”
Mumbai: Kalyan Jewellers, an India’s jewellery brand, has launched the #HerMilestones digital campaign to celebrate International Women’s Day. The campaign aims to inspire and empower women by honoring their achievements and celebrating their strength, resilience, and perseverance.
The digital campaign features Kalyan Jewellers’ regional ambassador Pooja Sawant, who reflects on the challenges she has faced and the milestones she has achieved as a womanpreneur. The campaign pays tribute to incredible women who are making a difference every day, from all walks of life, breaking barriers and shattering stereotypes in their respective fields.
“We believe that women deserve to be celebrated every day, but International Women’s Day is a special opportunity to recognize and honor the contributions of women around the world,” said Kalyan Jewellers executive director Ramesh Kalyanaraman. “Through this campaign, we are attempting to empower and inspire women to continue pushing boundaries and reaching new heights.”
To further encourage and engage women across the country, regional brand ambassadors Ritabhari Chakraborty and Kinjal Rajpriya shared their personal stories of milestones through an Instagram Live event. The event aimed to inspire fans and encourage them to share their personal experiences with Kalyan Jewellers, creating a platform that highlights the diverse achievements and challenges faced by women hailing from different cultures, backgrounds, and communities.
The stories gathered from this crowd-sourced initiative are being featured on the social media channels of Kalyan Jewellers with the hashtag #HerMilestones. The brand hopes to create a powerful collection of narratives that inspire women to pursue their dreams and celebrate their milestones.
Mumbai: 82.5 Communications was set up as an agency to help brands succeed in the Indian market and to help take Indian brands abroad. It is part of the Ogilvy Group and a WPP company, the young agency already has two Grand Prix at the coveted EFFIES to its credit and a host of Indian and MNC clients in its roster. The agency follows an open source model, which brings together its core services of strategy, creative and brand custodianship, along with the best of WPP partners’ allied skills, for its clients.
After the exit of Sumanto Chattopadhyay (fondly called Sumo by his friends and advertising colleagues), Mayur Verma and Anuraag Khandelwal were elevated as Joint Chief Creative Officers at 82.5 Communications.
Varma prior to 82.5 Communications was one of the youngest Group Creative Directors at Ogilvy, Mumbai. He has won several international awards including the Design Gold Cannes Lion. He has the rare achievement of completing a clean sweep at Kyoorius, winning the Black Elephants at both Design and Advertising Awards.
Beyond advertising, Varma has been a Ted speaker and also likes to design his own clothes hoping to turn that into a label someday.
Khandelwal entered Ogilvy India over two decades ago armed with a BFA in Applied Art and a short stint at Ambience Advertising.
He was instrumental in launching the Indian Premier league, the Indian Soccer League and the Indian Hockey League. Khandelwal’s first prestigious award was the Young Cag he won in his final year of art school. Since then, he has won over 80 national and international awards for campaigns including the Grand Effie for the BJP 2014 political blitz.
Khandelwal’s passion for creativity and his ruthless compassion has given birth to the award-winning Red Ramp Project that brought to light the lack of accessibility issues in India for the physically challenged. He has graced the cover of Forbes India magazine and makes the time to mentor university students. Outside of work, Khandelwal dabbles in cooking and wants to start a chain of gyms which will break down doors for the physically challenged.
Anuraag Khandelwal (AK) and Mayur Varma (MV) in conversation with Indiantelevision.com discuss their roles as Joint Chief Creative Officers, their creative passions and how 82.5 is home to them and much more…..
On 82.5 launched as an India specific advertising agency three years ago?
AK: 82.5 is not an agency, it’s our home. We wake up, we brush our teeth with some ideas, have some coffee…lunch on ideas, we banter, we play around with new tech, we fight over the best form of media for the brand and the idea, be it social, digital, phygital, traditional, guerrilla whatever.
We are basically an ideas powerhouse! Every creative, planner, client servicing and finance person has ideas. Even our clients contribute to our ideas.
And like any household, we’ve had our ups and downs. Our share of successes and failures. We celebrate, we learn, we move on. But most importantly, we have lots of fun.
MV: 82.5 is an ever-evolving dream – to see Indian brands grow to unimaginable levels. Today, when we think of huge brands, mostly international brands come to mind. With so much innovation in products, services and technology happening in India now, there are these absolutely amazing Indian stories being created that the world ought to know.
We have been galloping to work every day to tell these stories. It reflects in our growing partnership with small, medium, and large Indian businesses and also with the international brands that are keen to imbibe India and write the most exciting chapter of their brand story.
On your individual journey’s?
MV: Advertising is a profession one chooses to be in. No one ever forces anyone to join advertising. Have you ever heard of anyone joining advertising because of peer pressure? When you join a profession of your choice, you want to learn, contribute and achieve. After my first day at Ogilvy, I remember feeling there is so much here to learn, contribute and achieve. And after almost two decades I feel the same here at 82.5. The similarity, in some ways, ends there. My journey at Ogilvy was where I thrived in its great culture. At 82.5 my journey will be a tad more challenging and exciting – for here I will get to contribute to shaping an absolutely new culture with and for an enthusiastic team to thrive in.
AK: When I first walked into Ogilvy, I felt exactly the same buzz as I feel when I go to visit my relatives and their huge joint families. It was a collection of the wildest mix of creative, planning and client servicing talent in India! It is a family that is still glued together by Piyush Pandey. My journey has been nothing less than extraordinary.
The people I have had the honour to work with, the characters that touched my life, the opportunities I got, the successes I enjoyed, the failures that I never experienced alone, the handholding, the mentors, the friends, the love… everything and everyone has played a role in where I am today. I have learned and continue to learn from big brother. 82.5 gives me the same excitement today as Ogilvy did. The excitement of creating together and celebrating together.
On being joint CCO’s what will be your creative strategy for the agency?
AK: We want to create work that is both loved and feared. Loved by our consumers and feared by our competitive agencies or clients.
We want to have John Wick like qualities – focused and committed along with sheer will to move our clients businesses above and beyond. We want to achieve this by going beyond just campaigns as our currency – but, help brands become a part of culture and build through communities and collaborations. I personally want to bring back the art in advertising.
MV: We want to see 82.5 evolve into a creative platform where individuals and teams can plug and play their most creative selves and approach brand story telling in their unique ways. We believe in diverse creativity. We all have always known that there is never only one right perspective or one right solution. Especially while architecting a brand voice across different mediums and over a period of time, I’d like 82.5 to be a place where a bartender, an acapella group, a sommelier, a Lego sculptor feel excited to express their idea of what an agarbatti can be. Those ideas viewed through 82.5’s brand lens will be priceless for the agarbatti brand!
On some of your most exciting campaigns?
MV: Since I have been thinking a lot about cultures and communities of late, I am reminded of the ‘Future Hai Football’ campaign we did for Indian Super League. It marked that moment in Indian football where we started believing in our football players at a national level and wanted to know their back stories. I am also proud of the “Wear Her Name” campaign we created for Star Sports where Indian cricketers walked into a cricket match wearing their mother’s name on the back of their jerseys. #CleftToSmile became The World’s Most Tweeted Logo and also Ogilvy India’s first ever Design Gold at Cannes. Vodafone iFold roared at Cannes too while saving 800 trees every month by adding an extra fold to bills that were mailed in those days.
AK: The BJP 2014 campaign was a once in a lifetime learning.
It was extremely fulfilling to create the “Acche Din Aane Wale Hain” campaign and see very different reactions to it.
I’ve really enjoyed creating is the Bisleri Camels #SamajdaarBisleriPeetenHain campaign. The camels appealed to the hearts of the people and Bisleri, for the first time in its 50 years of existence, became the No1. Most Trusted brand in India!
And to top it all, both BJP and Bisleri won the Grand Effies. ‘
Launching IPL in India, launching the Indian Super League with the #LetsFootball campaign, turning Tata Motors into a new force to reckon with the famous Leo Messi #MadeofGreat campaign and more recently, digital campaigns for IDBI bank with #BankAisaDostJaisa and Bisleri Limonata #LetLoose.
On the vision, hope, plan, for 82.5 in 2023 and beyond? What would be the main focus areas?
As mentioned earlier, we want to deep dive into communities, cultures and collaborations. While Gen Z is a hot topic, we would also like to do some future gazing and look beyond Gen Z. We want to create fabulous relevant brand stories that are consumed by the consumers without them feeling “oh this brand is trying to sell me something”. If we can appeal to the right communities with the right cultural insights and collaborate with the right partners be it media or tech, we will hit home. Every time.
On the thoughts you would like to share with your colleague’s at 82.5 in this context?
The message is clear. Create work that will be loved and feared. Collaborate with the right partners to achieve this end goal. If the idea is relevant, fresh and exciting – nurture it with your life. Fight for it. Get the right people involved. Make it happen. Keep your constructive egos alive and get rid of the toxic ones. And make sure to have lots of fun along the way.
On talent today and as an agency, how have you been nurturing, retaining and growing talent?
There’s an organization that works in the so-called efficient MBA way. People delegate. It makes super-efficient use of talent. The output is measurable. Everyone goes home feeling they have done their bit. Then there is an organization that works like kids in a play area. Here talent has fun. Here the output is priceless. Everyone goes home feeling excited to come back the next day.
We would like to see ourselves increasingly become like the second organization. Our wish list to our CEO, our clients and the McKinseys of the world is to devise a business model where maintaining creative topline and bottom line is made as equal a measure of success as financial metrics.
On the changes in Media & Advertising, how are you seeing creativity changing from then to now?
In two or three specific ways. Earlier, each piece of execution had a lot of importance – there were craft specialists and idea specialists (who usually became creative directors and leaders). Today, social has turned creative pieces into inventory and AI would also be good enough to handle it. The average youngster cracks smart lines memes and limericks on a good morning. So, human creativity at its pinnacle, at its very best must focus on #breakthroughs and what is the overall large brand narrative that these number of posts/per day or memes are parts of it. Can we write it, control it, direct it, produce it?
Second, #collaboration. The new-age agency doesn’t have remits and definitely not sequence. A takes brief, gives to B, B mulls and creates a creative brief and hands to creative. It is slow, industrial and counter-productive. Agile creativity will be the new norm – a room, specialists like planners, social media people, creative techies and creative minds each building on their ideas to build a SOLUTION.
Third, if you can dream it, you can find a way to make it. We call it “#limitless” – it is way beyond mediums or even metaverse. The conception of a world of a solution or an idea and then going about making it happen.
You can call it our 82.5 BCL formula if you like!
On being CCO’s how are you seeing relationship between new age clients and an agency as compared to say the past decade?
In our experience, new age clients are far more willing to listen and trust.
They come from the same connected world as ours and so the understanding of an idea is often better and sharper. They understand that if they want to get the best out of us, giving us the space to play is very important.
Most of our agency-client relationships are human, open and respectful.
While there are exceptions, the mindset of “I am the client, so do as I say” is dwindling fast. There are healthier, respectful debates and sharing of POVs. Today, smart clients understand that their agencies are not mere vendors, but #BrandShareholders – lifelong partners to whom the same outcomes matter and there is a shared vision of what success looks like.
But then there will always be a variety of clients who want to engage for a bit and move on. Practically, they come for interventions they need specialists for – the business calls these projects.
On the surge of regional and vernacular communication
We began on this way, way earlier before it became a mainstream discussion – so, we are not in the early days of “tackling this”. In fact, we saw it coming and it has been one of our raison d’être and a favorite service amongst our clients.
We have Bengali, Marathi, Punjabi, Marwari, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Gujarati and Bihari language specialists who have refreshed ABP Network’s regional news channels across 7 states, captured state specific regional campaigns with cultural nuances for PhonePe and created winning regional communication for Bisleri, Ghadi Detergents and Nestle Milo.
Nothing connects better than a story told in your own language.
Mumbai: Slice has onboarded Bollywood actress Kiara Advani as its brand ambassador. The brand also launched its new invigorating and fun summer campaign, ‘AAM KA EHSAAS. SABSE KHAAS.’ featuring the actress at a special brand event.
With Advani as its brand ambassador, Slice aims to further connect with its audience and reinforce its position as the go-to drink for mango lovers across the country.
The bewitching new film transports audiences to a tropical paradise where the Advani is dressed in a flowy yellow ensemble with her best companion, Slice as she sits next to a boy who is attempting to woo her. With a pleasing and playful background score, the screen switches between the boy and Advani exchanging looks while the boy imitates Advani’s actions to engage with her – only he sits with a bottle of another mango drink attempting to match Slice. Audiences then witness Advani indulging herself bit-by-bit in the Slice experience. Failed at his efforts to be Advani’s one and only, the boy gives into the irresistible Slice, as Advani exclaims that he can try all he wants, Slice is still her ‘Sabse Khaas’!
Speaking on the association and the new campaign, Pepsico India Slice & Tropicana associate director Anuj Goyal said, “We are thrilled to have Kiara Advani as our new brand ambassador. Known for her exceptional acting skills and her stylish persona, she has huge fan base amongst our target audience. We believe her popularity and mass appeal will help us connect with our consumers in a meaningful way.”
Commenting on the summer campaign, he further added, “Our new summer campaign is a perfect reflection of the quintessential Slice way of indulging in a mango experience. From relishing the last drop of Slice to the spirited music and added hint of playfulness, the film seamlessly blends into the new AAM KA EHSAAS. SABSE KHAAS narrative. We are confident that the new film will strike a chord with our consumers.”
Sharing her excitement on coming on board as Slice’s new face, Advani said, “Slice is a drink that is very much a part of my childhood memories and hence has a special place in my heart. I am thrilled to join the Slice family and be part of the legacy brand. Slice is known for its picturesque campaigns that are remembered by one and all and no doubt, the new film will transport the audiences in the indulgent mango world like no other. I am sure that the consumers will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed shooting for it.”
The new Slice TVC will be amplified across TV, digital, outdoor, and social media with a 360-degree campaign.
Mumbai: PayNearby, India’s branchless banking and digital network, has released an awareness campaign on the occasion of “World Hearing Day”. The campaign promotes the importance of sign language and looks to spread awareness about the importance of maintaining good hearing health. It urges people to be aware and learn basic Indian Sign Language (ISL) gestures to communicate better with people who have hearing difficulties. It is in sync with World Health Organization’s (WHO) theme for 2023 – ear and hearing care for all! Let’s make it a reality!
According to WHO estimates, there are approximately 63 million people in India who are suffering from hearing impairment. Communication barriers can cause social isolation, exclusion, and discrimination, which can affect the mental health and well-being of people with hearing difficulties. Learning basic ISL gestures is an essential step towards breaking down these communication barriers and helping build inclusive and diverse workplaces. PayNearby’s campaign features Rahul Bhosale, a PayNearby employee, who shows how easily everyone can communicate with him using ISL. A special colleague himself, Bhosale shares common gestures in the video, including simple signs for common phrases such as ‘hello’, ‘thank you’, ‘sorry’, and ‘goodbye’.
On the campaign, PayNearby CMO Jayatri Dasgupta said, “Staying true to our brand philosophy ‘Zidd Aage Badhne Ki’, we have always stood and taken a stand for social causes. This campaign is reflective of that. We are an inclusive and diverse organization where we want all our colleagues to feel included. By featuring our colleague, Rahul, in this campaign, we want to send out a message that even with a disability, nothing is impossible. All it takes is empathy on our part and a little bit of sign language. All this can go a long way in facilitating communication with people with hearing difficulties and help create a more inclusive and accessible world for all.”
