Voltas & Ogilvy Urge Indians to be Maha Adjustable During the Lockdown

 Earlier this year, Voltas launched a Maha-Adjustable campaign for its new range of ACs that could adjust between multiple tonnage modes. And since the lockdown, the words “Maha-Adjustable” have been reborn with a very different message at their heart. A message that urges understanding, compassion and hopes to decompress the building stress in every home, through the small acts of helping out with household chores.

 The video doing the rounds, sees Gajraj Rao speaking to his followers not as his character in the Voltas films, but as himself. He speaks about how the lockdown has changed him as a person. He makes light of his pre-lockdown habits, and how he is now a happy and willing participant in the domestic chores. In the end, he advises viewers to be more understanding and adjustable to the needs of their loved ones, in these trying times. 

The challenge, objective and idea:

As a quintessential domestic brand for the aspiring middle-class Indian family, Voltas has time and again captured the slice of life of the common man. With the entire country under lockdown for over a month, most Indians have felt the heat of staying home all day long. The new campaign addresses the status quo and offers a way for viewers to do their bit for each other while staying indoors. 

 Ritu Sharda, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy India-North: This lockdown really has changed everything. Our Voltas Inverter ACs were Maha-Adjustable, and now we’ve also become maha adjustable. Not just in what we do in our homes, but also how so many of us from different cities have managed to come together to create this beautiful message in the most delightful way. It was an absolute joy to collaborate with Gajraj Rao on this film. Not only did he feature in it, but also volunteered to produce it for us, with his son Nikhil wearing the director’s hat. It’s work like this that makes one also look at all the good this new normal brings.

 Conceptualised by Ogilvy, the new chapter in the Voltas’ Maha-Adjustable story, maintains the quirky tone of its campaigns. It sends out a social message without being preachy about it. 

Gajraj Rao had this to say about the campaign: “I feel these are extraordinary times which can only be overcome with some extra effort in our lives and homes.  Ritu Sharda and her team at Ogilvy Delhi have articulated this spirit in the most brilliant way in this unique film for Voltas. We are excited to present this special film where we could collaborate with our extended work family from their homes. The team was quite eager to try their hands in creating this labor of love with the limited resources at hand during the lock-down, while also peeling onions or maybe washing the dishes from last night.”

 The campaign is a perfect example of how the Lockdown is changing Advertising as a whole. Not just in the way the film has been executed, but also in its message. How brands are more sensitive to the need of the hour. How they are participating in important conversations, in today's environment, rather than just trying to sell a product.

 This DVC is an interesting launch pad for the idea, "Voltas Maha Adjustable Stories", a property which the brand wants to create, to engage with its audience in the long run; without deviating from the core brand promise.      

For most summer brands this summer has been challenging. Voltas was ready to charge towards a blockbuster season when the pandemic hit the world, bringing the market to a grinding halt.   The lockdown affected all brands across categories. The real question left unanswered was, how do brands matter in such a crisis? How do you maintain relevance as a leader brand for when the lockdown is lifted?  Societal good in the form of providing services to all essential categories like hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, data centres, ATMs and airports, is crucial in a health crisis and the country shall remember the deeds performed by Voltas for a good cause. But it is also important for the brand to show empathy in the everyday life of a consumer, in order to not lose touch and it is for this that we endeavour to strike a perfect balance of relevance & positivity by creating a piece of communication for every Indian.

CREDITS

Agency: Ogilvy India-North

Client: Voltas Ltd.

Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy India-North: Ritu Sharda

Creative Team: Kartikeya Dixit, Siddharth Menon, Jigi Yadav, Saroj Patra, Vikas Tyagi

Writer: (Sam) Soumya Shiva Nagabhushan

Head of Strategic Planning, Ogilvy India (North): Rohitash Srivastava

Planning: Ashwani Sinha

Account Management Team: Atif Rahman, Rohit Sachdev, Saumya Sahni

Production House: Code Red Films

Producers: Subrat Ray & Gajraj Rao