When Amitabh Bachchan turned 'Rapper Thakur' for Tata Sky's #FamilyJingalala

Sporting a Bohemian look, the actor dons seven puppet-inspired avatars, as he raps 'Yo Se, Yo Se' about TV viewing habits of the Thakur clan.

The monotony of routine life can only be overcome through some form of entertainment, and being glued to the idiot box in our homes, is one of the most common, as well popular modes of getting entertained. Often, television (TV) viewing takes up a large amount of time of our daily schedule even as family members keep squabbling over the coveted TV remote.

Taking a cue from this insight, Tata Sky, the direct-to-home (DTH) television services provider joined hands with Ogilvy & Mather, along with Hindi film actor and superstar Amitabh Bachchan, to create a never-seen-before TV campaign titled #FamilyJingalala.

Produced by the production house Rising Sun and directed by ace film director, Shoojit Sircar, the two-minute long film tells the story of a family where each member has entirely different entertainment and content tastes, needs, and preferences. The campaign aims to target 85 per cent of the country's population that lives outside the metros.

In the film, Bachchan dons seven Bohemian, puppet-inspired avatars, those of the showman and narrator Rapper Thakur, the head of the Thakur clan, Thakur's wife, son, daughter-in-law, and two grandsons. Through the course of the film, Bachchan reveals through the rap 'Yo Se, Yo Se', how all their needs can be met by subscribing to Tata Sky (by giving a missed call on 88911-88911), which is the best DTH connection for a varied range of entertainment via different brand offerings.

Commenting on the initiative, Malay Dikshit, chief communications officer, Tata Sky, says, "People really want good entertainment in their house. Television forms the most important source of entertainment for the entire family. But, they have got used to the stale and inferior entertainment on offer as it is cheap or free."

Elaborating, he says, "The idea is to show what a wide world of entertainment and good quality service awaits them if they subscribe to Tata Sky. Ogilvy & Mather presented us with a heartwarming story of a family of seven puppets, each in love with his/her respective TV show. There could have been nobody better than (Amitabh) Bachchan to bring this vision to life," he adds.

Sukesh Kumar Nayak, executive creative director, Ogilvy & Mather, shares, "There is no other entertainer like Bachchan. And, when there are seven Bachchans in never-seen-before roles telling you a very entertaining story, then it is very tough to miss the point that nothing entertains better than Tata Sky."

Nayak adds that even someone of Bachchan's stature was comfortable about stepping into the role offered to him, and seemed happy and enthused about it.

The high-decibel TVC will be supported by an integrated marketing campaign including outdoor and cinema halls. Tata Sky also has plans to roll

out five regional language versions of the campaign in Marathi, Bengali, Kannada, Telugu, and Tamil by October 4, 2016.

When asked about why all the puppets of the Thakur clan resemble Bachchan in their individual roles, Nayak attributes it to be a part of the creative execution. Also, the ad film does not intend to introduce a new tagline such as#FamilyJingalala. Nayak proffers that the existing tagline will continue and there will be no change.

Buzz Meter

We spoke to some experts to find out if the ad holds enough buzz. According to Deepak Singh, chief creative officer, The Social Street, this is a bold step where Tata Sky has taken a very different stance and Bachchan's presence will anyway add to the buzz. He gives a thumbs-up to the fact that the ad is a refreshingly clutter-breaker one as it does not talk about technology which is what most ads in this category talk about.

He finds the execution to be 'eye-catchy material'. The art direction and music is also apt. "'Yo Se Yo se' is still playing in my head while I am writing this," he adds.

Muddassar Memon, associate vice-president - creative and social, iProspect India, is of the view that the #Jingalala series resonates extremely well with its audiences, and will help the brand increase its appeal with the rural customer base. "The rapper persona is a new layer to Bachchan's advertising personality and what's great in this ad is that he doesn't overshadow the brand message," says Memon.

When asked about his take on the effort, Rajiv Dingra, founder and chief executive officer (CEO), WATConsult, opines, "It seems like an effort to reach the Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns and villages, and clearly the music and the use of puppets are all geared for that target audience. Bachchan has reach and recall value in the hinterland of India, and hence, the selection."

On the other hand, Dingra feels that the song is not catchy when one hears it for the first time, and that will be a challenge for the brand even though the rap is an Indianised version with almost a Rajasthani feel to it with all lyrics being in that zone as well.