A 'skilled' future, just a missed call away

A new TV campaign by National Skill Development Corporation underscores the power of a missed call.

National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is back with the second leg of its 'Hunar Hai to Kadar Hai' campaign. Crafted by Ogilvy India, the campaign aims to make the idea of skill development glamorous and aspirational.

This time, NSDC has released three videos that talk about how honing specific skills is the only way one can earn recognition in society and realise one's dreams. Recall that the first set of TVCs was released in February this year. While the first burst of communication was received well, NSDC felt the need to revive the campaign, keeping in mind the new government's renewed focus on skill development.

Interestingly, the previous films fetched their share of cynicism from people refusing to believe that a missed call could bring about change in the unskilled sections of the society. The current campaign is an effort to reiterate that it certainly can.

Staying true to the TG of NSDC, the campaign features 16-30 year olds from the less privileged sections of the society. They are shown sharpening specific skills - including those required to work in the gems and jewellery industry and in the securities sector - institutionally.

Dilip Chenoy, MD and CEO, NSDC, informs that in 2013-14, the company surpassed its target and brought 1.05 million youth into the "skilling eco-system."

"This year," he adds, "our target has more than tripled to 3.3 million. The launch of this campaign will not only help us achieve this, but will also give a major push to skill development in the country, which is in line with the government's Skill India Movement."

Kapil Arora, president - branch head, Ogilvy North, says, "NSDC's brief to us has been to help showcase the value of skilling in the country, and in the process accord respect for skills."

He goes on to tell us that while the two sector-specific TVCs showcase how individuals can get skilled in a sector of their choice, with the help of NSDC and its partners, the third film is a montage of sorts which stresses on the ways in which a single missed call can change the future of a person. This film showcases the variety of courses offered - jewellery design, beautician courses, security, bee farming, etc.

Milind Dhaimade, director, Love & Faith Productions, has worked on this campaign.

Note that within the first eleven days of the campaign's TV release, NSDC received over two lakh missed calls. The calls were mostly from Maharashtra, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Assam. To invite calls from other states, NSDC plans to use targeted marketing across cinema, mobile, radio and outdoor mediums.