HT Mumbai announces January 29 as No TV Day

Hindustan Times, Mumbai has initiated a drive to encourage Mumbaikars to shun their television sets and take on other interesting activities on that day.

Mumbaikars are being encouraged not to be just couch potatoes, but to do something meaningful. Hindustan Times has launched a campaign to promote the cause. Declaring January 29 as the 'No TV Day', HT Mumbai has kick-started a campaign that aims to build awareness about the D-Day.

The tagline of the campaign is 'Switch on Mumbai, Switch off TV'. Mumbaikars are always rushing to either work, home or some meeting. It is a city where you spend more time with local train commuters than with family, where socialising happens on social media websites, children spend more time cramming at coaching classes, and tourist attractions are rarely enjoyed. It is a city where compromises made on time spent with near and dear ones are most common rather than an exception.

The campaign aims to instigate the city dwellers to switch off their television sets and do something worthwhile and memorable. In order to encourage more people to take up the cause, HT Mumbai has lined up a host of activities for that day, ranging from free helicopter rides over the city to painting competitions for school children, exclusive discount deals with about 100 restaurants in the city, laser and fireworks shows, entertainment activities, heritage rides in south Mumbai, and many other interesting activities.

It also plans to reach out to 200 schools across the city and ask children and their parents about their plans for the 'No TV day'. The group aims to reach out to about 4 lakh people through this activity. It is also organising painting competitions in 50 schools.

Says Ajay Dang, marketing head (West and South), Hindustan Times, "We want to celebrate January 29 as a day to explore and enjoy the sights and pleasures that Mumbai offers. A day when we are encouraging Mumbaikars to create their own special day."

The group plans to make Mumbai's first ever 'No Television Day' a yearly affair. HT is in talks with several government agencies and has also tied up with many other brands.

To promote this initiative, the English daily kick-started an outdoor campaign on January 15.