How Facebook’s ‘More Together’ idea for India campaign was conceptualised

Facebook has fortified its India strategy with its first high decibel multi-lingual ad campaign specifically for the country. Called ‘More Together’, the campaign highlights the power of people together and how more can be achieved by leveraging connections on the platform. 

With almost 241 million active users in India, making the country the largest user base for Facebook, the platform seeks to amplify the role its services play not just in India, but across the world in keeping people stay connected. 

Conceptualised by Taproot Dentsu, the campaign taps into the festive occasion of Holi. It shows a group of friends celebrating the festival of colours in India, while one of their friends is alone, working in Romania amid snowy weather. In order to cheer up their friend, the group uses Facebook to connect with people in Romania to bring Holi to their friend who is thousands of miles away from them. 

In the coming weeks, Facebook plans to launch multiple campaigns across India in 8 different languages. These campaigns will be running on various media platforms such as Digital, Radio, OOH and Cinema. 

India in its heart 

Elaborating on the creative thought behind the campaign, Ajit Mohan, Vice-President and Managing Director, Facebook India, said, “India is in the heart of Facebook, and one of our focus areas this year is to tell the exciting story of a service that is deeply embedded in the fabric of India. While at the company level we remain focussed on building trust, we want to showcase the many ways that Facebook is intertwined in the lives of Indians – from connecting with loved ones, to growing businesses and supporting local communities, to finding ways to come together to learn and share and celebrate. I could not be more excited that we are telling our story – it is a story that is lived by people across the country every day.” 

On the campaign strategy, Pallavi Chakravarti, Executive Creative Director, Taproot Dentsu, said, “Our challenge was this: How should we tell everyone in India what we, the creators of this campaign, already knew to be true? That Facebook can, and always has been able to, harness the power of many, to make life that much more magical every day. With this as our objective, we realised that ‘campaign strategy’ is perhaps too marketing-like a term. What we needed to do was tell people the truth – so, that’s what we did. All the stories that you will see in the weeks to come have been inspired by what Facebook truly is able to do for all of us.” 

“Taproot Dentsu is delighted to develop such an important campaign for one of the most loved services in the country,” remarked Agnello Dias, Co-Founder, Taproot Dentsu and Creative Chairperson, Dentsu Aegis Network India. “The world of Facebook represents a canvas of connections that’s huge, vibrant and full of serendipitous outcomes and surprises. To celebrate all users and to inspire more of them to benefit from the power of connections, our creative team, led by Pallavi Chakravarti, wrote stories with all these unexpected, wonderful outcomes, which are inspired by real people and their real journeys.” 

While Facebook has come up with campaigns for India in the past, they have never been on the scale such as ‘More Together’. The platform has been upping its marketing game in the recent times. One may recall Facebook’s first ever Super Bowl ad released a month ago. 

Now, tapping into their largest user base is the right step on the road not taken before. 

When asked why India now, Chakravarti told Adgully, “Quite serendipitously, I believe that the mind space of India today is exactly where the essence of ‘More Together’ lies. We are poised to do more than ever before, connect more, be more, dream of more – so it is quite fitting that this campaign should make its way into the world now.” 

Does it impress? 

Facebook’s ‘More Together’ ad reminds digital marketer Shubho Sengupta of Airtel’s popular 2011 ad campaign ‘Har Ek Friend Zaroori Hota Hai’, as he comments, “This is like Part 2 of the Airtel ‘Har Ek Friend Zaroori Hota Hai’ ad done by the same agency, Taproot, 8 years back. They are good with ‘Connections’ briefs.” 

He further said, “India is Facebook's biggest user market, though the revenues are low. The attempt is perhaps to ride on Holi, the festival of colours, and get more video creators in.”