Hero Motocorp brings back 'hum main hain hero' tune in context of unlock

Shutters rise up, employees return to office, and Hero Motocorp bikes position themselves as a commuter's vehicle in the new ad.

Ahead of the festive season, Hero Motocorp has revived the “Hum Mein Hai Hero” commercial for 2020. The ad features a remixed version of the tune, originally composed by A.R. Rehman and we see visuals of India unlocking, businesses opening their shutters and people returning to office.

The original tune was composed for ads that came out when Hero and Honda had parted ways. This ad features vehicles from Hero Motocorp’s current lineup of bikes and asks users to rely on them on the journey of India’s unlocking.

The original 'Hum Hai Hero' campaign, created by Law & Kenneth was released on India's Independence Day in 2011. It featured stories of Indian individuals who conquer what seem to be impossibilities, to unearth the hero within themselves. Towards the end, the voiceover concludes that Hero continues to make Indians proud of their individuality, and that brand Hero Honda is now christened Hero.

Anil S Nair, the former chief executive officer and managing partner, Law & Kenneth, said to afaqs! at the time that the communication had to marry the legacy of the brand's past, with the future plans at Hero MotoCorp. The tonality of communication had shifted from collectivism to individualism.

This is a reference to the 'Desh Ki Dhadkan' tagline that Hero Honda rode on, before the split – which focussed on a whole set of Indians collectively, while 'Hum Mein Hai Hero' is more about every Indian finding his individuality, his sense of self. The brand connect arrives in the form of Hero finding its own individuality sans the Honda expertise.