Serving glamour for 18 years: Bombay Times

Bombay Times was the first ever paper that created the”Page 3” culture and familiarised people with it. It gave the common man a chance to be a part of a wider platform as he got to know what his celebrities wear, where they dine and many other intricate details of their lives. Inspite of the criticism meted out to Bombay Times, it has been around for quite a long time and has carved a niche for itself.

 

Bombay Times recently turned 18. Celebrating the occasion, BT for the first time launched a mass media campaign. The campaign has been conceived by Taproot India. The message that the campaign intended to drive home was how Bombay Times has percolated through all walks of society in Mumbai.

 

The TVC that has been launched as a part of the campaign depicts how the common man-be it a dabbawala or a fisherwoman has become style conscious, inspired by Bombay Times. The slogan underlying the campaign is Born Glamorous. The music is also enchanting. The lyrics “Style maara to darna kya, thoda hero bana to darna kya” add a cinematic appeal to the TVC.

 

 Bombay Times has quintessentially stood for glamour, style, entertainment and the movies since the last 18 years.

 

Agnello Dias - Co-founder and creative director, Taproot India said, “The idea was to push reality a bit to make it cinematically dramatic. Over time we can see how a certain sense of personal style has crept into all walks of life in the city; whether it is the gelled hair on the delivery boy or the bling shoes being sold on the pavement. The city's sense of glamour and style has undergone a steady upward change, courtesy Bombay Times which has inspired the shift.”

 

He further explains, “We thought it would be great to exaggerate the city's working class icons and the common man to put out a proud, unabashed statement about the city and the good life its citizens do not shy from aspiring towards.”

 

The media mix that has been used to promote the campaign is print, outdoor, television and radio. On-ground activation has also been tapped effectively to give the campaign a unique edge.

 

Agnello exclaims, “Bombay Times has always been a polarising brand. It takes a clear stand on what it represents and makes no apologies for that. The challenge is therefore to keep that polarity and not be defensive about what it has undeniably come to stand for.”

 

The glamour quotient of the brand has been carefully integrated into the TVC. Right from the common man in a middle class home to professionals at work from offices to hard labour, Mumbai makes everyone conscious of personal presentation in small, subtle and loud ways. Through the TVC, Taproot India puts this thought forward in an exaggerated manner.

 

 

Agency: Taproot India

Creative Directors: Agnello Dias/Santosh Padhi

Writer: Agnello Dias

Production house: NATIVE FILMS

Director: Vikash Naulakha

Producer: Prithvi Raj Luthra

Music: Samiruddin

Singer: Nayantara

Client: Rahul Kansal/Priya Gupta