Brand Box creates buzz for Airtel's revamped logo

Combining technology and innovation, the young agency shows how a revamped brand like Airtel can take an all-new look at outdoor branding.

When a brand, especially a media-savvy one such as Airtel, undergoes an overhaul in logo and identity, creating recall and connectivity is a key focus of its campaigns. Besides leveraging multiple media platforms, Airtel is going all out to promote the new logo and campaign, 'Dil Jo Chahe Paas Laye' with outdoor branding, including train wraps with the Airtel Rajdhani, as well as billboards and kiosks. Airtel has also hired a young agency, Brand Box, to handle specific technology-based innovations.

For Airtel, Brand Box has created branding at the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon, a 3D holograph with the new logo, as well as a bowling alley innovation.

At the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2010 (ADHM), an Airtel marquee was set up for the company's employees, where they could have a family outing and enjoy the race. The 16,000 square foot marquee had an 8,000 square foot hangar with dome branding for aerial shots. There were various interactive games and entertainment too. Additionally, at the ADHM, interactive LED walls were set up all along the racing tracks and at key locations, which enabled runners and visitors to send messages to their loved ones.

Going further, Brand Box also conceptualised and executed a holograph kiosk that displays a 3D Airtel logo, which stays suspended in mid-air. This was used to unveil the new logo layered with the new jingle. The idea is to engage the TG and get them to click picture of themselves with this innovation, making it seem like the logo is resting on their palms.

The 3D holograph activation kicked off with the launch of Airtel's new logo. It was first activated for the company's 2,200 employees at the Airtel Centre, along with the chairman in Delhi at Rose Garden on November 19. It was then seen at the ADHM on November 21.

After this, it was rolled out simultaneously in four cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai) and is being placed at malls on weekends. These comprise Inorbit Vashi, Oberoi Mall and Koram Mall in Mumbai; Ambience, DLF Emporio, DLF Prominard Mall and Select City Walk in Delhi; Spencer's, City Centre Mall, Ampa Mall and Express Avenue Mall in Chennai; and Forum Mall and Garuda Mall in Bengaluru.

This activity began on November 20 and will go on till December 19. The holograph kiosk has also been positioned at the Delhi airport.

Brand Box also executed an 'interactive bowling alley' for Airtel, which, the agency claims, is the first time for any brand in India. Here, the moment the bowling ball is rolled over the lane, one can see the Airtel logo being unveiled on the lane with a trail of fire. Once the ball hits the pins, the same logo with the fire trail comes zooming back and stops, for a few seconds, in front of the person bowling. This innovation has been created on sensor motion-based technology.

This has been rolled out (pun intended) across metros. It was seen in in Blu-O, Delhi between November 19-25; followed by Orama, Mumbai (November 29-December 05) and will finally reach Playmax, Hyderabad (December 09 -15). The agency states that this innovation has managed to created a buzz and engage with the youth.

Deepak Kapoor, head, operations, Brand Box shares, "The brief was very clear -- impactful and innovative ideas that help in ensuring buzz and registration of the new identity in the minds of the consumers. Reach out to the consumer in a more engaging manner. The TG was masses and the youth in specific."

The ideas not only created impact, but pleasantly surprised the users and unveiled the brand in an interesting manner. Kapoor adds, "As an agency, our endeavour has always been to recommend innovative solutions to our clients -- whether it's around technology, innovation or digital space -- thus creating maximum impact, buzz and value for money for the brand."

Sheetal Saliya, head, strategy planning, Brand Box, says, "An integral part of our approach to a brief is to always add some new and relevant element of excitement, which helps in building connect with the consumer. For this, we keep pushing ourselves to think fresh."

Apart from Brand Box's work on outdoor, Airtel has also launched a new online initiative, 'The Name Game' (http://airtel.in/namegame), where the company is inviting people to give a name to the new logo. In return, the brand will do its best to make the winner's dream come true. The three best entries will be shortlisted by Airtel, and the winner selected through user voting.

Brand Box is based out of Mumbai and Delhi and offers services in experiential marketing, digital marketing, mobile marketing, events, exhibitions and OOH solutions. The agency has worked with clients such as Sony PlayStation, Airtel, Sony Pictures, L&T General insurance and HSBC Asset Management Company.