Amul launches 'Amul's India'

Amul, a brand that has been chronicling India for the past 50 years through its timeless and topical hoardings, has launched a book that in turn chronicles the evolution of the brand and its advertising over the decades.

Amul, on the occasion of completing 50 years of advertising, has launched 'Amul's India', a book that celebrates the journey of the table butter brand over the decades.

The book was launched at a press event held in South Mumbai on June 11. Present on the occasion were R S Sodhi, managing director, Amul; Sylvester da Cunha, chairman, DaCunha Communications; Rahul da Cunha, managing director and creative head, DaCunha Communications; Santosh Desai, managing director, Future Brands; Alyque Padamsee, ad film maker and theatre personality; and Harsha Bhogle, cricket commentator and journalist.

At the event, the da Cunhas represented the ad agency responsible for Amul's advertising all these years. The agency changed the perception of butter from a 'haloed', fine product to a fun, light-hearted and consumer-friendly one. Desai, Padamsee and Bhogle have contributed to the book, along with several other prominent personalities.

Spruced with vignettes and a collection of Amul's choicest ads, the book offers a peek into the making of the brand's communication, right from the inception of the slogan 'Utterly Butterly Delicious' to its socio-politically motivated ads of today.

"This brand is not owned by a corporate or a company; rather, it is owned by the farmers of Gujarat," said Amul's Sodhi, adding that the book is a salute to them.

A few facts and statistics that pointed towards the widening outdoor presence of Amul were shared. In the 1970s, Amul was present across 30 billboards, 16 sites and four cities, while in 2012 it is present across 132 billboards, 90 sites and 69 cities. Though its billboard ads are most famous, Amul also has presence in 25 newspapers (twice a week), six TV channels, Khaleej Times (Dubai) and social media (Facebook, Twitter).

Rahul da Cunha spoke about how, when viewed from the perspective of Amul's advertising spread and geo-targeting, there exist 'five Indias' -- Bombay (Mumbai), the Hindi belt (ads with politics as the topic are targeted towards this population), the East, the South (particularly Chennai), and Facebook.

"We've proved that Indians have the ability to laugh at themselves," concluded Sylvester, referring to the tongue-in-cheek yet far-from-cruel advertising that the brand is known for. He also spoke about how the Amul Girl is the most adaptable mascot in Indian advertising because she has donned innumerable costumes and portrayed countless characters till date.

Padamsee reminded those present that besides the agency for its witty and timely copy, it is also the brand team that is to be applauded for Amul's advertising because not all clients allow sensitive and humorous content to be published without censoring it first.

Published by Harper Collins, 'Amul's India' is available for Rs 299.