Rehashing the anthem

It was around five years back that Bharti Airtel had produced an advertising campaign that positioned it as a brandfor the youth. Yes, we are referring to the catchphrase ‘Har ek friend zaroori hota hai’ (Each friend is important).

The campaign was such a hit that most of us still hum the jingle, and also sing it when we are with friends. Airtel is back with a tweak in the campaign; and though the lyrics of the jingle and the plots have changed a bit, the essence is the same – friendship is above everything else.

Conceptualised by Taproot Dentsu, the campaign has a set of three adverts, with different focus points. While one spot highlights the free Airtel to Airtel calls, the rest feature free incoming on international roaming, and low data packs.

The heart of the campaign, as we all know, is the jingle, which is beautifully composed by Ram Sampath, of ‘Tanha Dil’ fame.

Ram has been composing some of the best and most catchy tunes for brands like Docomo, Pepsi, and other national and international brands. And with this one too, he has got us all swaying our heads with joy.

The approach, however, is different in this campaign. Instead of straightaway showing the heartwarming bond between friends, Airtel is taking the opposite way.

It shows how practically data charges, roaming, talk time tariffs can be of concern; and later on promises to take care of such petty things while the consumers enjoy their friendship.

Airtel reinforces this commitment with the line “Yeh sab cheez zaruri nahi hai (all these things are not necessary), because har ek friend zaruri hai (Each friend is important).”

We think that Airtel’s decision to retain the core-theme of its supersonic expression “Har ek friend zaroori hota hai”, is the best and the safest bet for the brand.

The coolness and vibrant jingle, with Amitabh Bhattacharya’s lyrics and Ram Sampath’s music was nothing less than an anthem for the brand.

And while the jingle is still fresh in the new generation’s mind, it is brilliant idea to tweak the tone and rehash an already hit campaign, instead of reinventing the wheel.

Also, Airtel coming up with this campaign is very strategic, given that Jio has left the telecom industry numb with its 4G tariffs; not to forget, Jio has also extended its free services till March 2017.

At such a point, Airtel is advertising a bundle of advantages that it is offering; all the offers promote the existing users to stick to the network and enjoy the privilege.

That is pretty much the thumb rule of marketing – it is easier to keep the existing consumer base happy than to build a new base.

While Airtel is heavily advertising these offers, Jio is just capitalising on its tariffs. Two rivals, two contrasting marketing plans – the turf cannot get any more interesting.