Stories from across the border

The marketing campaign for Hindi Entertainment channel 'Zindagi' from ZEEL has begun. The channel will be available on television screens from 8 pm June 23 onwards. The marketing campaign involves two films that showcase the similarities in different cultures and emotions despite differences in language, attire and lifestyle of people across the borders.

'Zindagi', the Hindi GEC from Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL), kick-started its marketing campaign with brand films highlighting Zindagi's channel proposition 'Jodey Dilon Ko' and evokes the sentiments that 'Sarhad ke iss paar ya uss paar, hamare tour tareeke bhale hi alag ho, par hamari kahaniyan ek hi hain'.

'Zindagi' will be on screens from June 23 from 8 pm onwards. The campaign created by FCB Ulka comprises two brand films directed by Abhishek Kapoor, of Kai Po Che fame, which are already on air. The objective behind the campaign was to showcase the similarities in different cultures and emotions despite the differences in language, attire and lifestyle of people across the borders.

'Jodey Dilon Ko' has been brought out beautifully in the brand films that narrate the stories of people from both the sides of border who share similar emotions, aspirations and dreams. Extreme care has been taken to showcase a range of aesthetic styling, relatable and emotional effects to promote Zindagi's vision to audiences across the world. The TV campaign is ably supported by its promotion in print, OOH and digital mediums.

KS Chakravarthy, national creative director, FCB Ulka says, "The insight behind the whole campaign is as simple as it is powerful. We may come from different countries, different cultures, but our emotions, our joys and our triumphs are all surprisingly similar. And it is this simple human truth that the two launch television commercials capture in a simple, believable manner. The device of literally cutting mid-sentence from one protagonist to the other brings this alive in a vivid manner - and leads beautifully into the summing up thought for the channel, Jodey Dilon Ko."

One film opens with a young Indian woman recounting her experience of cooking for her husband for the first time and it also has a Pakistani woman sharing a similar experience. As the two women narrate their story, we realize the stark similarity between the situations of both the women. The TVC ends with the voice-over saying 'Lahore ki galiyon se Lucknow ke baramandon tak, hamare vesh-parivesh bale hi alga hon, hamari kahaniyan ek hi chain'. The second film shows two college-going girls from India and Pakistan, sharing similar aspirations of studying in a foreign university.

Says Kapoor, "My family traces its roots to pre-partition to Pakistan. I grew up to stories of shared lives and times, subsequently lost to borders. Deep within, there was a heart-felt hope that this cultural legacy would one day find its way back, reunited. My association with Zindagi is a manifestation of this."

Akash Chawla, marketing head, national channels, ZEEL says, "Abhishek Kapoor and FCB Ulka have done a brilliant job of creating profound and touching films that clearly translate our vision on screen. It's heartening to know that the freshness of this campaign has become the talking point everywhere. The TVCs exhibit our distinct promise of Zindagi being a category creator in the GEC space." Detailing the concept behind these films, Chawla explains, "Viewers want to connect with their innate human nature. We believe that with Zindagi, we have something universally relatable, emotional and powerful to showcase and that is reflected in the films."

With the message of 'Jodey Dilon Jo', Zindagi will touch hearts and break barriers to relate with the people living across borders. As the first-ever national launch for a Hindi language channel, the objective is to continue to spread strong human values through handpicked content across the world.