And out of the folds of the depressing darkness, came charging on the back of a white unicorn the knight in a shining armour. The world was suddenly bathed in the golden glow of a dazzling dawn and fresh hope that everything was going to be alright.
Just like spring follows winter and success follows failure, the emotion of bravado is what tides us through the darkest hour and the most adverse circumstances.
Thus, connecting with this emotion is a path often traversed by the champion of cause — the marketer.
The approach in most instances is very simple and can take any of the two following forms:
The Immortal Messiah
This garb fits well, with the brands that denote a service. Thus any service provider that needs to play the role of an advisor or mentor has to demonstrate a demeanour that is larger than life. Thus the brand becomes the Hero, who protects and guides you subtly as you cross the road, as you have to walk a tight rope to the ship, when the sun is hurting your eyes as you want to read the book. This form of “jo jimmedari nibhate hain, jatate nahin,” but the subtle ICICI prudential, heroes, “Bandhe acchhhe hain” is true valor in sheer simplicity. The other heroes like the Bajaj alliance and Max insurance guys, who are always reassuring you with their Main hoon naa guarantee , are heroes of a special kind. And then there are the muscle men like Ambuja cement and MRF and Bridgestone tyres, who are like brave hearts that offer protection against calamities. For categories such as insurance, tyres and cement, where the core benefit of the brand is tenacity, protection and strength, the emotion of Sahas and Veerta is but natural and legitimate.
The mortal Meluhas
The second portrayal is interesting and it exalts the Dabangg in each one of us. Whether the Harry Potter series or the current Shiva trilogy by Amish Tripathi, fantasy or faith we all believe that in the most depressing of times rises a Dark Knight who might be the mortal avatar of an immortal being or just an ordinary Himmatwala. This started with an old cigarette brand — Red & White — which portrayed extraordinary feats and acts of bravery, “Kyon ki in red & white pene walon ki baat hi kuch aur hai.” In fact, there were bravery awards sponsored by them. And of course who can forget the daredevil Mountain dew dudes, who spoke about “Darr sab ko lagta hai par darr ke aage jeet hai” and our desi Dabangg Khan and Rowdy Kumar who are the Herculean veers who coax you into “Aao kuch toofani karte hain.”
The most amazing are the Machismo six-pack Bahadurs and cine stars from Sunny Deol to Shahrukh Khan. They might be wearing anything from Dollar club, to Rupa to Boss to premium inners. These guys are able to bash up the bank robbers, rescue the damsel in distress and walk fearlessly past the politician’s goons at a voting booth to cast their vote fearlessly. The connection between the inner vests and courage has been used so many times that you can but acknowledge — Fit hai boss…
And then there are those who are the most effective in this spiel, who speak about “Humi se to umeedein hain, humme hi pe bharosa hai …..hum mein hero,” as they play the role of an average small town person who has the courage to make a difference — not in the urban jungle –but by showing the valour and self belief to create a successful enterprise and livelihood in his own gaon. Ordinary men who need to done the garb of a soldier and stand up not at the border but for the women in the Nation. Gilette salutes the soldier in you is the message to the best in every man who stands in courage and respect for the Nirbhaya’s of the country.
As a thinking being, we all strive to change the way the world or circumstances function, thus courage is the one emotion which creates the ground for every other virtue. Thus, whether in the form of a floor cleaner like Mr Muscle, an ayurvedic supplement like chyawanprash or the herculean Yuvraj Singh and Birla Sun Life, gallantry is a true mark of these Aryan brands.
“Samne pahad ho, singh ki dahad ho, veer tum badhe chalo, dheer tum badhe chalo” is the call of all the Vijay Deenanath Chauhan, who are still on that Agneepath, riding a Bolero, a splendour, endorsing a Gilette as these veers fearlessly explore new frontiers, “Kyon ki darr kea age jeet hai.”
Prof. Neena Sondhi is professor, marketing, International Management Institute, New Delhi