Mathrubhumi disrupts traditional approach to festive season campaigns

With Onam, Kerala’s biggest festival season, round the corner, advertisers have begun to turn their attention towards media channels in Kerala. Mathrubhumi, Kerala’s formidable media group, has rolled out an innovative and unique campaign on integrated media solutions. This campaign aims to demonstrate various combinations of media that can effectively drive response across target groups. The campaign is unique combining print and digital and disrupts the traditional approach of claiming leadership. 

A series of print ads have appeared on trade publications, but these are no ordinary ads. The ads are in phonetic Malayalam. Readers were prompted to know what the gibberish looking questions meant via QR codes or to key in a link. Each QR code or link throws up a unique tongue-in-cheek film of Malayalees and their Onam purchase decisions and ends with a call to action to explore Mathrubhumi Group’s custom integrated offerings. A simple interactive contest followed, giving an opportunity for participants to win an all-expenses paid trip to Kerala and truly experience God’s Own Country. 

Kamal Krishnan PS, National Head – Integrated Media Solutions, Mathrubhumi Group, commented, “Media planners are bombarded with exaggerated claims of market coverage during festive season by all major media houses. We, as a group, wanted to bring attention to what we can deliver through integrated efforts to help our clients achieve their festive goals in Kerala. Integration is the need of the hour to deliver desired responses to advertising by optimising the strengths from within the group.” 

Elaborating on the campaign, Francis Thomas, Creative Director, Maitri Advertising Works, said, “The challenging brief to disrupt the traditional approach and to extend the experience of integration was exciting. The narratives, based on the idea Malayalees will be buying what they see in various Mathrubhumi brands, is conveyed through subtle insightful humour about Malayalees, but with strong conviction.” 

The campaign, in addition to print and digital, will also be extended through direct mailers to advertising partners in media across the country. 

The mailer – Brand Brew Kit, demonstrates the flexibility of mixing relevant media vehicles from the wide range of strong brands within the group, integrated with some special tea from Kerala. 

Mathrubhumi has over 18 brands spanning across mediums, including print, TV, radio, digital and activations. The group has recently appointed Vizeum as their media AOR to improve and strengthen partnerships with the advertising fraternity in India. 

Mathrubhumi has successfully straddled tradition and technology in assimilating change from 1923 to the social media era. Nine decades on and in to 21st century, the Group caters to its Malayalam readers through 16 editions, including from Dubai and Qatar, a books division, and 11 periodicals running the gamut from culture to entertainment. Mathrubhumi has struck deep roots in the hearts of every Malayalee household through various engaged entertainment platforms, mainly print, radio (Club FM), television (Mathrubhumi News and Kappa TV), online (Mathrbhumi.com) and digital.