How to combine Bollywood, humour and social messaging?

When Mogaé Media volunteered to do some communication work for the Punjab Police, in view of the pandemic, the client was both happy and willing, but the rider was that ‘Stay Home’ messages were becoming trite and predictable. So, if communication was to be created, it needed to be different and interesting. Also, communication that would generate social media chatter, getting citizens engaged.

Mogaé Media reached out to the top brass at Wunderman Thompson who gladly assigned a team headed by Nakul Jambotkar to work on the campaign. Initially, five or six different ideas were tabled. But one communication route using old songs looked a sure winner, different and humorous at the same time. The Wunderman creative team had used old songs like, “Gore gore, oh baanke chorey …”, “Oonchi hai building, lift teri bandh hai …”, “Main nikla oh gaddi leke, raste par oh sadak mein …”. Nine different ads were created for print and social media. But more importantly, each ad had a real Punjab Police officer featured. This gave the ads a distinctive look and clearly established that the message was from the law and order team. More so since the officers were portrayed as friendly and relatable, despite the messaging being one for discipline and restraint.

“Sometimes difficult briefs can end up in communication that is warm and friendly, and where the tone of voice is fun but the messaging is unerringly what it is supposed to be: about self restraint, self discipline and in a manner of speaking, self help,” says Carol Goyal, Executive Director, Mogaé Media.

“The campaign with the Bollywood songs, while providing some welcome relief from the sombre and challenging times we are all living in, delivers a very clear and unambiguous message that self-restraint is any day better than ‘social policing’. But most importantly for us, it helps us celebrate our own force, and showcase their contributions. We have plans to use the social media to reach out to the community, especially the millenials”, explains Director General of Police, Punjab, Dinkar Gupta, IPS.

Adds Hanoz Mogrelia, Senior VP & Global Executive Creative Director, Wunderman Thompson,“This was a very interesting exercise for us. My creative team approached the project from different angles – and once we were given a go ahead on the Songs idea, we really went to town. The team, enjoyed working on this and would not mind doing work like this again!!!”.

Says Nakul Jambotkar, AVP and Client Servicing Director, Wunderman Thompson “It is always a pleasure when as an agency we can use our skills to help society at large and in this case it was an honor to partner with the Punjab Police. The work created by the team is refreshing from a communications point of view and at the same time does its job in delivering the message to the audience in an effective and easy to consume manner.”

A lot of work and effort has actually gone in to the Punjab Police communication during the pandemic. The campaign initially started with famous Punjabi comedian, Jaswinder Bhalla, posting two videos on cooperation with the police and another on washing hands and not shaking hands with anybody.

Special communication was also created to show how the force was swinging into action in all districts of the State.

Diljit Dosanjh and Sidhu Moosewala were roped in to help with videos to speak to those returning from overseas, and their families.

Sometimes in communication, you get unexpected bonuses. A video of a cop exhorting women to put their men to work at home chores instead of sitting idle or roaming on the streets went viral over social media. It received applause and accolades across the spectrum.

Videos were then put out as updates on the community outreach and supply of food being done by the police all over the State. Over 3 crores of food packets were handed out in a week to ensure no one slept hungry in the granary of India. In each of the communication, the contribution of the policemen who were braving disease to support the community was highlighted.

It has been barely two weeks since communication was organized and intensified by the Punjab Police, but it is the work of many months squeezed into a very short time interval.

New campaigns are in the pipeline. And everyday brings a newer communication issue that needs to be addressed. “Mogaé Media feels privileged to be able to assist the police in Punjab at this important juncture. The creative team at Wunderman Thompson have worked round the clock in trying circumstances to create communication that is different, and impactful”, adds Goyal.