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Directed by Bharat Sikka and made by W+K Delhi, the spot celebrates hope as we slowly emerge from the pandemic.
“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light,” said Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
The past eighteen months have been nothing short of darkness for most of us and today, after all this time, we’re beginning to see glimpses of light.
And with Diwali, the festival of lights, a few days away, it is perhaps the opportune time to move out of the darkness and embrace the light of life and openness once again as the legendary headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry wanted us to do.
OPPO, a leading smart device brand, speaks of the same light in its latest campaign for Diwali. Featuring lyrics from the spoken poet Megha Rao, translated into Hindi by poet Rakesh Tiwari who’s also lent his voice for the spot, the 140-second film captures the emotions that different people experience as they emerge into light after the darkness of the pandemic.
The campaign will be amplified across social platforms by giving users the chance to create and design their own stories. The social amplification will be led by high profile influencers including actress and singer Shradha Kapoor and Shruti Hassan and musician Darshan Raval. A raft of talented micro-influencers from the worlds of fashion, photography, music and art will also share their own curated stories.
This Diwali campaign is the latest from OPPO’s efforts to explore and create youth culture moments; previous notable works include a 24-hour music livestream and collaboration with rapper Shan Vincent de Paul as well as launch of a music video featuring the Chennai-based band The F16s within an unboxing film with Ranbir Kapoor.
Damyant Singh Khanoria, Chief Marketing Officer – OPPO India, said: “The year gone by has been challenging for everyone. It has made us more empathetic and thoughtful about who we are and what we hold dear. With Diwali around the corner, we at OPPO wanted to celebrate the human spirit with a message of optimism and hope. Here’s wishing everyone a happy Diwali and hoping we all ‘light up new beginnings in the New Year.”
Dean Wei, Executive Creative Director, W+K Delhi said, “We wanted to address, in a very honest way, how people all over India are feeling at this moment. We wanted to celebrate a small truth, that it’s the little things – the normal things we’ve missed, the bits of human contact and connection – that are special and beautiful. It takes a kind of bravery to go through what we all went through while still remaining stubbornly and defiantly hopeful. Using the beautiful poem co-created by Megha Rao and Rakesh Tiwari, Bharat Sikka has created a stunning film for OPPO that we hope others will use to capture the beauty in their own lives.”
Gautham Narayanan, Managing Director W+K Delhi, added: “We’ve been on quite the journey with OPPO over 2021. Since picking up the business, it feels like the creative output of each project is getting better and better. This brand spot captures a moment in time and is reflective of how we’re all feeling at the end of a unique year. It captures India’s resilience and optimism, beautifully. It’s a great message to spread at an important time of year.”