Campaign: Maine Desh Ka Namak Khaya Hain
Brand: Tata Salt
Company : Tata Chemicals
Agency: FCB Ulka
The Campaign
The ad campaign tells the story of the inspirational icon MC Mary Kom?the Olympics medalist who hails from a poor, tribal family from Manipur and how she went on to win the bronze at the 2012 Olympics, surmounting all odds. Mary Kom recalls the journey from her childhood to that of a successful, professional boxer. As she narrates the story in her own voice, the film shows her punching a gunny sack as a child even before she got into boxing. From playing football with boys to running up the hill carrying a sibling on her back, the young Kom reveals that she had to work harder, being a girl. Seeing her grit and tenacity, a coach agrees to train her, and her journey to fame and success starts. Winning at the state-level, she wins the support of her parents, but she still has to overcome the disapproval of elders in the society. Undaunted, she? carries on with training, to emerge victorious on the international stage. She had to win, she says, for those who stood by her, and for the country. As she says, her victory had become the beginning of a new journey?of giving back to the country through a Mary Kom Boxing Academy, to create ?more Mary Koms?. This is not just a dream for her, but her responsibility since as she says ?maine desh ka namak khaya hai?, literally meaning she has consumed the salt of this country.
Our Take
Since inception, Tata Salt?s ad campaigns have significantly contributed to reinstate the consumers trust in the brand. The essence of the brand’s commitment to purity can be traced back to Tata Salt?s initial ad campaign of Namak ho Tata ka ? Tata Namak. That campaign laid emphasis that, as an offering from the Tata Group, the product ensured its consumers an offering of the highest quality. The quintessential characteristic of guaranteeing optimal quality and the brand?s core value was further expounded through Tata Salt?s Desh Ka Namak campaign. The latest campaign Main Desh Ka Namak Khaya Hai aims to carry forward the brand?s philosophy and celebrate contemporary icons who are going beyond their own success and giving back to the country in their own areas of work. In that sense, the choice of Mary Kom is excellent as here is a true story of courage and commitment. Her life and her triumphs are definitely extraordinary, but the ad does not come out as anything extraordinary. The storyline is too staid and predictable and lacks the punch to make it memorable enough. A great idea but it falters in execution. Wish the brand had gone beyond the obvious to bring out facets that would have made the viewer sit up. The only saving grace is that we get to see and hear Mary Kom beyond the boxing ring.
? Banasree Purkayastha