Vodafone’s pug is back with a ‘Stay At Home’ message

The dog first appeared in Hutch commercials almost 17 years ago and was seen in several of Vodafone's commercials post Hutch's acquisition in 2007.

Vodafone Idea’s popular mascot, the pug, is back with a message for these trying times. The film, a stock footage, shows the dog rushing back to the safety of its kennel. The dog first appeared in Hutch’s ‘You and I’ ad campaign in 2003. The ad featured a pug named Cheeka and a young boy. The dog (signifying Hutch’s network) followed the boy around. It was crafted by Mahesh V. and Rajiv Rao then creative hands at Ogilvy. Vodafone (today’s Vodafone Idea) acquired Hutch in February 2007.

Amidst the Coronavirus crisis, a national lockdown is in place banning people from stepping out of homes. The lockdown has been enforced to check the spread of the infection at the community level.

“While VIL (Vodafone India) has been doing its very best to keep the nation connected, we thought it’s time to bring back our best loved icon to reinforce the importance of staying at home and staying connected with Vodafone through these difficult circumstances, albeit in its endearing way,” says the Vodafone team in a media release.