Mahindra sets off on young and free trail

Shot in the wetlands of Kerala and the rugged terrains of Leh-Ladakh, Mahindra's Live Young Live Free campaign highlights the toughness of its range of utility vehicles.

In its latest campaign, Live Young Live Free, Mahindra Automotive positions its utility vehicles as a symbol of freedom and liberation for those who are young at heart and love to travel without fear.

Shot in the wetlands of Kerala amidst eight feet tall grass and the rugged terrains of Leh-Ladakh, the film highlights the toughness of the sports utility vehicles and utility vehicles. The two-minute film presents people from all ages driving Mahindra cars such as Xylo, XUV 500, Bolero, Scorpio, Thar, Verito, Actyon and others in difficult terrains with a lot of fun and joy. The film ends with tagline, 'Live Young Live Free'.

With a budget of nearly Rs 3 crore, the film has been initially launched on social media; however, sources confirm that a shorter version of the film will be on television soon.

Vivek Nayer, senior vice-president, marketing, auto division, Mahindra & Mahindra describes the cars as 'Lifestyle Enablers'. He says, "The new film depicts the portfolio of Mahindra SUV/UVs in action and underpins our DNA of tough and rugged vehicles that enable an aspirational lifestyle."

Nayer dedicates the film to all those who love adventure, thrill and being outdoor with friends and family. He says, "Our cars give you the freedom to travel anywhere you want to. They give you liberation from the usual routine life."

Starting from scouting of locations to final processing, the creative agency, Interface Communications, took three months to execute the campaign. To make things look more interesting, a heli-cam was also used for top angle shots to give a clear idea on the dryness of the terrains.

The Rock music used in the film is well synchronised with the video.

Robby Mathew, national creative director, Interface Communications, says, "We brought out the scale of Mahindra through this ad film, which is the undisputed leader in this category."

Nayer states that the film has already received 3.2 million views on YouTube. He adds that Mahindra Auto has more than seven million Facebook fans across various brands, giving it a reach to the largest automotive community of the country.

Mathew adds that the Live Young Live Free campaign will run for a few months and be promoted through multiple touch points such as print, out of home and others.

The automobile giant has recently partnered with ASEAN Rally, where 28 Mahindra XUV 500 vehicles will cover 8,000 km across eight countries. It has been regularly organising driving expeditions such as Great Escape, Special Escape, Challenges and others over the years to engage with its customers.

Nayer clarifies that the film is not an extension of Mahindra's 'Rise' and 'Spark the Rise' campaigns, but instead exclusively promotes Mahindra Automotives' entire range of cars.

He adds that 'Rise' reflects the ideology of the entire Mahindra group.

Treading rocky terrain?

Will the campaign rock or fade - afaqs! tried to get a sense of the industry perspective to Mahindra's attempt to promote its entire range of UVs.

Amit Shankar
, executive creative director, Grey India, says, "It is a big scale movie and is nicely shot. A well mounted film set on beautiful locations and music, which sets the mood. This film clearly talks to the youth/free spirited people." He adds that the commercial is a logical progression from the earlier Mahindra Rise communication as it symbolises the sense of liberation that young people always seek.

Xavi Bech de Careda, vice-president, planning, DDB Mudra Group, says, "It is interesting to note that at a moment when most brands build their differentiation on functional grounds, Mahindra's SUVs are trying to build an emotional connect through a human story. This is especially important for the target audience on the top of the pyramid. They are well connected, well travelled, well informed and are becoming increasingly critical with the brands they choose. So the emotional connection with them is of utmost importance."

He adds that the campaign talks about the large portfolio of products in the SUV segment, and may be, through this, claims a sort of leadership - although there are no clear overtones.

However, Bech expresses doubts about the way the 'Live Young Live Free' message is delivered and its impact on the consumers, albeit conceding that the message of the film is loud and clear.