I am Mumbai: The Mumbai Mirror TVC

Goosebumps. Is just the word I can think of to define this one.

Like the many striking ones that caught my eye, this again happened to be in a theatre. And it only multiplied the impact it would have had on a tv screen.

The campaign has picked up four stories that have been published in the tabloid before: The burning of Rohinton Mistry’s book, the milk adulteration scam, the case of remand home for children and political posters; & then creates fictionalized accounts of how these individual events affected the Mumbaikars. Reading these words off a tabloid is one story; having them talk to you directly to your face with the real hurtful experience, is another one altogether. Conceptualized by Taproot India, it conveys that Mumbai Mirror, a TOI group venture, is a voice of the residents of this cosmopolitan city.

"They burned my book. They burned my words. But they will never be able to silence my voice. Never. I am Mumbai".

How does one react to that?

Director Abhinay Deo does an extremely fine job, right from the decision of keeping the visuals black and white, till the last shot of the newspaper in the hands of a traveler in the train, accompanied by the sound of the running train. After all, aren't trains the medium of travel for more than half the city, and the exact sea of people who need to voice their concerns the most? Bull's eye! "I wanted to disturb people with the campaign and to make them think about the city and the various issues," he quotes. Not only has he succeeded in his objective, but has also made India proud by winning a Gold in the Film and Film Craft category at The Cannes Lions Festival 2012.

What I love: A very strong script, and a neater execution as well, this ad is a brilliant visual compilation of the REAL news stories that Mumbai Mirror has ran in the past few years.Not only is it hard hitting but also drives home the message of the newspaper's motto of uncovering stories that have been seen, felt yet ignored for the longest time.

Wondering: The only campaign that Mumbai Mirror indulged in prior to this was during its launch back in 2005. With an equally 'no-nonsense' print campaign, it pretty much summarized its intentions of being the city's non-frivolous voice that means business alone. This particular ad campaign, designed by Leo Burnett under the supervision of brand director, Prem Kamath, had invested in a substantial amount of hoardings around Mumbai. Following are three of its most memorable print ads:

Credits for I AM MUMBAI TVC:

Agency: Taproot India
Client: Bennett & Coleman
Brand Team: Rahul Kansal, Priya Gupta
Creative Directors: Santosh Padhi, Agnello Dias
Writer: Agnello Dias
Account Management: Mandar Sawant
Production House: RDP
Director: Abhinay Deo
Music: Ram Sampath
Executive Producer: Apurba Sengupta