Campaign name: Signature /Dastkhat
Brand: ITC Classmate
Company: ITC Ltd
Agency: Rediffusion Y&R
The Campaign
The ad opens on a girl and her grandfather waiting for the arrival of the toy train at the railway station at Ghum, a small locality in Darjeeling. The girl quickly hides her notebook from a schoolboy who tries to peep into it. At home, she writes something and shows it to her dog as her grandfather smiles seeing her dedication and innocence. She continues to write in her notebook in school while hiding it from her friends who are curious at her antics and try to see what is keeping her so busy. Back at home, at the terrace, busy with her notes, she forgets to eat her breakfast. Her grandfather lifts up the spoon to feed her. She continues to scribble in her notebook everywhere she goes, even in a carnival. At the carnival, she gets inspired by the dragon performer’s ribbon act and runs to be a part of the dance. She quickly writes something, gives it to her grandfather and urges him to take a look at it. To his surprise he finds that all the while she has been trying to write her signature. As he holds the notebook close to his heart she dances in the carnival celebrating her joy of finally being able to create her signature. While returning from school, she expresses her joy by jumping and dancing. All this while a jingle, ?koi na bana sake, koi naa bata sake but main hun aur yeh mera dastakhat?, sung by a young girl is being played in the background. The ad ends with the voice-over of the young girl saying, ?Classmate pen ne
likha hai, classmate pen ko pata hai?.
Our Take
Darjeeling is a perfect place to tell a heart-warming story?the story of your first signature,and through it,the pen that made it happen.The ad instantly infuses the feeling of nostalgia. The first signature always holds a special place in our heart, from scrapbooks to letters to our friends, the signature travels to many people who also marvel at it.The idea is very relateable since, as children,all of us have tried to find the perfect signature that we will use life-long,but in reality the first signature goes through many changes just as we do in our lives.The characters,both the girl and her grandfather, add life to the tale.The way the girl tries to hide the signatures that she keeps writing and hiding from everyone, makes the curiosity rise too.As the suspense unfold,it only brings a smile on your face.At the end of the day,her achievement becomes ours, and we too feel proud and happy being able to finally create our own signature ?as they call it truly a signature moment to remember.This ad certainly talks to its target group?children? in a way they can relate to and remember.
RATINGS
***1/2