This year, the festival gains an even bigger status as it has been granted the UNESCO heritage tag.
Durga Puja is a grand, cultural carnival which Bengalis not only wait yearlong to enjoy, but passionately and warmly welcome other communities to experience too. Today the art of creating idols and innovative themed pandals has become the main attraction of the event. But if there is one aspect that makes this festival more meaningful and celebratory, it is the people and their emotions that are attached to this festival.
This year, the festival gains an even bigger status as it has been granted the UNESCO heritage tag. With this achievement in mind, Zee Bangla has conceived its latest brand campaign – “Bangalider Antorikotai - Bangalider Heritage”. As a brand, Zee Bangla has always been a torchbearer of Bengali culture and tradition. They have been associated with Durga Pujo celebrations for many years and with the unique and prestigious UNESCO Heritage status this year, the brand has stepped in to celebrate the true reason behind the festival – the people and their warmth, which Bengalis carry as their badge of honour.
Conceptualised by L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, and immaculately brought to life by Pritha Chakraborty, the film revolves around a dhaki's son who wants to experience this ‘new Heritage Pujo’ after hearing people talk about it. However, his father who is also unaware of this ‘heritage status’ shushes him and tells him he cannot go as they have a responsibility to play the dhak during the Pujo. Through lucid storytelling and a small emotional twist in the tale, the boy’s dream is realised thanks to the family members of the bonedi house. The film stands as testimony to the true spirit of togetherness that Bengalis are known for as it concludes on a joyous note.
Highlighting his views on the campaign, Samrat Ghosh, chief cluster officer – East, Zee Bangla said, “At Zee Bangla, we are obsessed with the idea of consumer centricity and therefore all our efforts are directed towards touching & enriching the lives of our consumers. We are consciously designing our product offerings to push new boundaries & to excel towards a progressive tomorrow. The same is also reflected through our various marketing and brand initiatives. Our Durga Puja brand film is a reflection of the progressive outlook which blends both the inclusivity aspect of Durga Puja celebration along with the embellishment of a heritage status. This compliments our brand philosophy of ‘Notun Chonde Likhbo Jibon’.”
Sharing his views on the thought process and execution of the film, Rohit Malkani, Joint national creative director, L&K Saatchi & Saatchi said, “Any Pujo communication becomes personal for me, being Kolkata born and bred, and this was no exception. Standing out during Durga Puja in a slew of competitive communication is always a challenge. But I believe we have done an amazing job of finding a slice of Pujo that is not just unique, but also relevant with UNESCO recently adding Durga Puja to its heritage list. As always Zee has been an incredible support, pushing us to get better and better.”