In 1989, when India was at the brink of economic liberalisation, sporadic echoes of ‘Hamara Bajaj’ would fill the vacuum of quiet afternoons in neighbourhoods across the country. An aspirational Indian automobile for the improbably hopeful middle class, Bajaj two-wheelers was the symbol of Indian-ness in an era of western lure. Its jingle still evokes a sense of identity for Indians from that time, an unforgettable tune that is as comforting as a mother’s lullaby. However, with the proliferation of Digital mediums, the focus of branding and advertising has shifted from reinforcement to interactivity today.
Communication between brands and consumers is now a two-way street, where loyalty is evasive, and creating experiences around a product is as important as the product itself. It now has an impact on almost every aspect of marketing, including classic techniques such as jingles and mascots, with some questioning their relevance and others holding on to it.
In June, Bacardi launched its first-ever localised India campaign after almost 25 years of being in the country. Much like its popular song in the 90s that had everyone swinging to its tune, the idea, the look and feel, the positioning, and the energy of the new campaign #DoWhatMovesYou is the same, but without any overt branding elements. Among other examples, Uncle Chipps re-launched their iconic jingle ‘Bole Mere Lips, I love Uncle Chipps’ in a more contemporary avatar, and Vicco used theirs as a signature statement for the ongoing campaign #MazedaarNahiAsardaar. Maggi too has created a new version of ‘Maggi, Maggi, Maggi’ in #DilMaggiMaggiHoGaya. On the other hand, the Air India Maharaja, whose role has been somewhat relegated in the airline’s new look, has shone the spotlight on mascots once again.
Globally, VMLY&R Commerce’s ‘Jingle Therapy’ for The Puerto Rican Alzheimer Association made waves with a heart-warming campaign that won the Cannes Lions, Bronze (Health). Executed in partnership with SBS Radio, ‘Jingle Therapy’ used the radio network’s 80-year archives to identify the most famous advertising jingles to create a palliative therapy aimed at bringing back memories and easing symptoms in Alzheimer’s patients. The campaign impacted 600 patients during the first month, and after four jingle therapy sessions, patients showed a significant improvement in memory, orientation, depression, and anxiety. Moreover, 12 nursing centres adopted the therapy as part of their daily routine.
Like a remixed 90s song basking in its new-found popularity, these jingles too are loved and celebrated by all, but mostly as remembrances. Therefore, one is naturally prompted to ask the question, ‘why don’t we come across such masterpieces anymore?’ Have brands shunned them, or are the audiences’ short-lived, Digitally-primed memory and attention span to be blamed for it? The ikigai is, as always, somewhere in the middle.
JINGLES ALL THE WAY
In June, PepsiCo India decided to re-launch Uncle Chipps’ iconic jingle – ‘Bole Mere Lips, I love Uncle Chipps’ to rekindle love for the brand. Teaming up with music composer and social media sensation, Yashraj Mukhate, who is known for his parody music videos, the brand tapped into the power of nostalgia with a new rendition of the famous jingle. It was further contemporised through associations with popular influencers who came up with their own versions.
Talking to IMPACT in this context, and why she thinks this move would appeal to the youth, Saumya Rathor, Category Lead – Potato Chips, PepsiCo India says, “One of the reasons why jingles remain relevant is because they have the ability to tap into the love Indians have for music, making them an effective method to connect with the youth who are highly receptive to engaging and interactive forms of advertising. Jingles act as a sonic signature that instantly connects the audience with a brand, evoking positive associations and emotions whenever they are heard. This is particularly impactful when targeting a wide range of audiences, including those who may not be actively engaged in the advertising process.”
Rathor believes that a well-crafted jingle stands out and leaves a lasting impression even in a crowded and competitive market. Moreover, their adaptability ensures that they reach audiences across various touch points, maximising their potential for engagement, thereby enhancing brand visibility. “Jingles offer versatility in their application across different media channels. They can be utilised in traditional mediums like Television and Radio advertisements, as well as in Digital formats such as social media videos, online campaigns, and mobile applications. The success of the Uncle Chipps jingle is testament to the widespread relevance and effectiveness of this format. By refreshing the brand’s distinctive assets and utilising the power of music, Uncle Chipps has been able to forge strong connections with the audience, particularly with the youth, creating a memorable and engaging brand experience,” she adds.
Gunjan Khetan, Marketing Director, Perfetti Van Melle India shares some instances where jingles and visual elements have been used to create memorable brands at PVMI. First on his list is Alpenliebe’s ‘Alpenliebe, Jee Lalchaye, Raha Na Jaaye,’ which played a critical role in driving memorability for the brand, especially as a late entrant in the Indian market that already had established players. “It was a beautifully designed jingle that clearly communicated the irresistibility of the product,” he asserts. He further says, “Alpenliebe is also associated with consistent visual cues like the ‘Moo Moo cows’ on its lollipops range that clearly talk to the primary target audience, i.e. kids. Although, not technically a mascot, Happydent boasts a set of shining teeth that has been consistent over the years. We have continued to elevate its role in consumers’ lives to be able to give it a more purposeful existence beyond just a brand benefit.”
Khetan points out three changes in the current Digital-led ecosystem, which he believes have enhanced the importance of jingles and mascots. “Brands have moved beyond problem solving in the last 10-15 years and are busy answering the ‘why’ instead of the ‘what’ and ‘how.’ The conversation is now around engaging consumers with a strong purpose and the difference that the brand makes to their lives, to society, and to the planet. Second, media is getting highly fragmented, and audience attention is at a premium. Every brand needs to stand out and have a cut through in order to be efficient and profitable. Third, with easy access to Digital, consumers now have many brands to choose from. This makes it imperative for recognised brands to really engage consumers and build a relationship with them. Therefore, the role of mascots and jingles is even more elevated as they help build connections, cut-through memorability, and become a great vessel of communicating the purpose in an engaging way.”
THE SUBTLER APPROACH
Youth-centric studies have repeatedly stressed upon the perils of contrived branding that is seen as insincere and in-your-face by the new generation. Overexposure to advertising has made them sceptical of hype, celebs, influencers and obvious commercial hooks used in brand messaging. So when the goal is to resonate with them, the approach has to be in sync with their preferences.
Speaking in the context of Bacardi’s India campaign launch and why it took a subtle approach to branding, Zeenah Vilcassim – ex-Marketing Director of Bacardi India, had in an earlier interaction, said, “Advertising has changed through the years. Previously there used to be passive watching or passive consumption of messages, primarily through ATL media, i.e. TV, but now, consumers are smarter. They’re used to brands hitting them with messages on every single media platform at any time of the day. The impact is not the same as what you used to get on TV 20-25 years back. Hence, we were looking to not necessarily create an impact through a jingle, for instance, or a song, but to actually resonate with what the positioning is. ‘Do What Moves You’ and ‘Be What You Want To Be’ are very similar in terms of what they stand for - having the confidence to be your authentic self - but the execution is different.”
Another example here is that of the Ayurvedic brand, Vicco, which drew some flak for a rather lousy recreation of its era-defining jingle that literally hammered the words ‘Vicco Vajradanti’ in the consumers’ minds with ‘Vajradanti, Vajradanti, Vicco Vajradanti… Vicco powder, Vicco paste… Ayurvedic jadibootiyon se bana sampoorn swadeshi…Vicco powder, Vicco paste…Vicco Vajradanti’.’ The ad featured brand ambassador Alia Bhatt who came on-board in 2020 when the brand embarked on a new trajectory to establish a youth connect. After a couple of attempts that didn’t quite leave a mark, Vicco took a radically different approach for its latest and ongoing campaign, #MazedaarNahiAsardaar, conceptualised by The Womb. In a complete departure from the brand’s over-the-top style of communication, the agency decided to go for a subtle and straightforward, yet impactful approach, dropping even the ‘Vicco Vajradanti’ vocals at the end. Only a sonic signature was retained.
Akshat Trivedi, Creative Head, The Womb shares, “Vicco is a brand with a great legacy. People know Vicco and what it stands for. While we wanted to take that legacy forward, we also wanted it to evolve from there on. The core of the brand had to remain intact, and that core was honesty. So we built on that with an honest approach to communication. The insight and execution of #MazedaarNahiAsardaar was derived from the product itself, capturing the spirit of Vicco.”
Commenting further on the use of the jingle that resonates perfectly with the tone and tenor of the campaign, Trivedi remarks, “We didn’t completely move away from it because of its recall value, but used it as a signature that subtly hints at the brand – something like the ‘Gandhi Frame’ that is enough to remind people of Mahatma Gandhi without even saying a word. We wanted to elevate it to that level of recall.”
While Trivedi speaks for his campaign alone, the jingle, even the remnant ‘Vicco Vajradanti’, is missing from the brand’s corporate film ‘Har Dil Vicco, Har Ghar Vicco’ featuring brand ambassador Sourav Ganguly.
We asked Soumitra Karnik, Independent Creative Consultant (ex CCO at dentsu Impact, dentsu India and Happy mcgarrybowen) if that’s a prudent move by Vicco, and he seemed to have a different opinion. According to him, “Doing away with an iconic jingle that has a great recall is quite unproductive if Vicco’s target audience has not changed drastically. If the brand’s audience continues to be those people who were exposed to the earlier jingle, who hold on to that nostalgia, and those who still revel in the fact that great jingles used to be produced by earlier brands, then it’s pointless.”
Karnik reluctantly agrees that pressing the restart button could be justified if the target audience is a completely new set of consumers, such as Gen Z, who have no baggage or recollection of the past. However, he is quick to add, “Vicco Vajradanti is a great legacy brand, the core of which is based on Ayurvedic practices and ‘Jadibooti’ or herbal formulations that trace back thousands of years in the history of Indian medicine. Today so many people, including youngsters, are talking of religion, sanskriti, hindutva, and taking pride in all things Indian. This is actually the point in time when after all these years of investment, everything came and sat in the sweet spot for them, but suddenly, they decided to change it!”
CREATING CLASSICS
Mobile phones are guilty of depriving many of the joy and the sheer elegance of wearing a wrist watch, but even for followers of ‘Digital time’, it is unlikely to not resonate with Titan’s signature tune. According to Vinay Kamath’s ‘Titan: Inside India’s Most Successful Consumer Brand’, Titan’s Founding Managing Director, the late Xerxes Desai, together with Ogilvy & Mather (then OBM), had selected a portion of Wolfgang Mozart’s Symphony no. 25 for the brand’s television commercials.
Defining the remarkable brand asset, Prateek Gupta, Head of Brand Communications, Titan says, “Our signature tune is like a classic novel, timeless and universally loved. It’s the underlying score that accompanies every brand narrative that we create. While it’s an integral part of our brand identity, it’s also flexible. It carries our legacy, but it isn’t confined by it. We make sure that it stays relevant by adding new chapters that reflect the current context, but the storyline, the crux of it, remains the same. It’s a delicate dance between preserving the timeless appeal and infusing contemporary elements.”
Even though he agrees that Digital has indeed transformed brand building, Gupta likens this transformation to learning a new language rather than changing the way of thinking. “We’re still all about building relationships and telling our brand story,” he states. “While jingles and mascots might feel a bit ‘old school’, there’s no denying their power to create deep connections. They’re like anchor points that tether the brand to its roots, while we navigate the exciting, fast-paced waters of Digital engagement. It’s less about passive reinforcement now and more about making our mascots and jingles an interactive part of the brand’s story,” he adds.
Another classic - the Maggi jingle - now has a new avatar. While Nestle didn’t respond to IMPACT’s queries, Himanshu Manglik, Founder and President, WALNUTCAP Consulting LLP, and former Communications Head at Nestle India, shares with us some insights on how the Maggi jingle was used for the restaging of Maggi after the 2015 MSG controversy.
Manglik believes that the strength of the brand lies in the emotional bond it shares with the consumers. “During the forced benching, Maggi continued its dialogue with consumers with the ‘Meri Maggi’ campaign. The simple insight – ‘Maggi, we miss you,’ spoke for the consumers and their experiences, while Maggi’s emotional response was, ‘We miss you too’. It revived consumers’ positive experiences with the brand. While the excitement of the Maggi jingle was not appropriate for this campaign, its iconic yellow coloured branding and the experiences of its consumers, became a reminder of the happy days. Then when Maggi finally hit the stores once again, the excitement was well-captured in a quick commercial that said, ‘Re chhotu....light lagaa de, plate lagaa de....dhaabe ki raunak laut ke aagayi......Aagayi aagayi aagayi.......Dil khush khush khushaam ......smile ko salaam ....Maggi, Maggi, Maggi.’ The focus returned on Maggi and its key elements, reinforced by the jingle, visual elements, and the excitement of the dhaba owner as portrayed in the commercial,” he shares.
Manglik concludes by saying that the enthusiasm of Maggi noodles returning to the market proved that the fundamentals of brand building do not change. According to him, ‘back to the basics’ is always the best route for brands.
Rajeev Raja, Founder & Soundsmith, BrandMusiq - an audio and sonic branding agency that specialises in creating signature sounds and musical logos for brands, shares his views on the sonic identities of well-known Indian brands like Titan, Britannia, and Maggi. He says that they are in some ways representative of the evolution of the jingle.
According to him, the Titan Tune has become timeless because it was a perfect alignment with the brand’s persona, its values and aspirations. “Titan wanted to position itself as a global brand with a sense of majesty, class, and elegance. Choosing Mozart’s famous melody was hence a perfect brand fit. The reason why it has managed to last so long is because it fitted perfectly with the personality of the brand and what it wanted to communicate. Moreover, because it is classical music, the brand was able to create so many versions of it for different moods and occasions. Over time, it has become a sonic asset and part of Titan’s sonic identity. Though, initially, I don’t think it was made with such rigour, but it just goes to show that if your creation fits your brand well, then it could result in something abiding.”
Commenting further on Britannia and Maggi, he adds, “Britannia has restricted itself to a mnemonic at the end. We would still call it a Mogo or musical logo, but the ‘ting, ting ti-ding’, really, is just a recognition device. The opportunity to take it to the next level of immersion and experience is still available. Maggi’s was a pure jingle. ‘Maggi, Maggi, Maggi’ captured all the elements of family and togetherness of the brand, and has lasted due to this fit. It was also borrowed from a very popular existing tune and therefore was quite catchy and universal.”
BACK IN THE LIMELIGHT
The eargerly awaited and much discussed rebranding of Air India, unveiled in August, shone the spotlight on mascots again. The fresh identity had everything new - ‘The Vista’ logo symbolising the ‘window of possibilities,’ the aircraft livery, design, and cabin interiors, but the 77-year-old Maharaja stayed, albeit with a slight change in his role. He is now limited to the airline’s premium classes and airport lounges. Putting the ‘exaggerated rumours of its demise’ to rest at the rebranding event, Air India CEO & MD Campbell Wilson said, “The Maharaja is an important part of Air India and we very much wanted to continue it with India’s diaspora.”
Even though few and far between, mascots are the choice of many new-age brands. Snack brand Cornitos recently introduced its uncooperative, wild, and lovable mascot ‘Corny the Chimp’ in a hilarious new campaign ‘Cornitos - Wild As You Like’. Dunzo, the hyper-local delivery app, used a unique mascot strategy to communicate with the masses during the IPL. Goes without saying – the North Star for these newbies are their timeless forerunners such as the Amul Girl and of course, the Air India Maharaja that lives on.
Vikram Agarwal, Managing Director at Greendot Health Foods Pvt Ltd. shares that the idea behind launching Corny the Chimp was to create a memorable and engaging brand mascot that represents the fun and adventurous spirit of Cornitos. “The brand is known only through Nacho Crisps. With this campaign, we are aiming to build a brand story and value for the brand itself that ties the entire range together under one umbrella. It’ll serve as a recognisable symbol, forge an emotional connection, and allow for some very interesting storytelling. In a crowded snack market, it is imperative to stand out, and a well-designed mascot adds a human touch that resonates well with consumers.”
Commenting on how he would assess Corny’s performance, Agarwal adds, “The performance of Corny will be measured through a multifaceted approach. We will track key metrics, including increased brand awareness, engagement levels on social media platforms, website traffic, and an increase in sales and consumer feedback. We are confident that Corny’s presence will yield positive results, enhancing our brand’s reach and engagement.”
Samir Datar, Chief Strategy Officer at Crayons Advertising, the agency behind Cornitos’ campaign and their mascot, ‘Corny the Chimp’ elaborates, “We hit upon the idea of a mascot because there weren’t too many of them around. So, it would definitely stand out in the impulse-driven packaged snack category where a brand needs to stay top-of-mind.”
But there’s more to Corny. “Cornitos has a very large product portfolio, and their flavours for Nachos and the new snack Crusties are interesting and innovative. So the idea ‘As wild as you like’ was born, and Corny, the uncooperative Chimp came into existence. Given that most of our spends are going to be in the Digital space, it is a perfect medium in this day and age to have the Mascot as the spokesperson for the brand. We intend to keep building on it, online and offline, and become synonymous with the brand,” says Datar.
Explaining Dunzo’s mascot-driven communication strategy, and what a new-age brand such as theirs aimed to achieve with its family of mascots called the ‘Duniverse’, Tanveer Khan, GM, Brand and Marketing at Dunzo, had in an earlier interaction with IMPACT said, “We created our mascots in 2015 at a time when we were building the category. Our users, partners, and merchants are the three pillars of the brand, and we were facing difficulties in communicating with them. So we created three mascots, one for each of the three pillars, and soon we noticed an increase in reliability for the brand. The mascots helped humanise the brand.”
Dunzo used the same approach, employing mascots for its IPL campaign in order to cut through the clutter. It was also the first brand to launch queer mascots - Careline Ringaraj (She/Her) and Jusmeet (They/Them) in India, but unfortunately, it failed to capitalise on them. Khan believes that the love for mascots will continue to evolve because they form the tangible extensions of brands.
Universally loved and relevant as they are, the Indian ad-land hasn’t produced a new jingle or mascot as abiding in recent years. Despite the presence of multiple avenues and opportunities in the current media landscape, the memorability factor continues to evade these painstakingly created brand assets. Is it the customers’ short attention span, or the lack of creative brilliance, is anyone’s guess. But as of today, when we think of jingles or a mascots, we are naturally taken back to our Doordarshan days, in search of the innocence that we have lost along the way.
BRAND BUILDING IN THE DIGITAL ERA - THE ROLE OF JINGLES AND MASCOTS
Samit Sinha
Founder, Managing Partner • Alchemist Brand Consulting
“While it is true that the essence of brand building has evolved to become more about creating meaning and delivering experiences, I don’t believe that jingles or mascots have necessarily lost relevance. The role that they play in branding remains unchanged as the distinctive identifiers of the brand and as the shorthand for all the brand’s attributes, benefits and associations, much in the same way as the brand name, logo, symbol, colours and other such elements of the brand’s identity.”
Himanshu Manglik
Founder and President, WALNUTCAP Consulting LLP
“The brand is a repository of images, experiences, emotions, and associations. The brand name, colours, and the visuals or sonic cues will always be important to build the identity, image, and personality of the brand. Good brands are able to ensure that every element reinforces each other. Jingles, mascots and logos are like bridges to help us relate to brands as we collect experiences with them. What differentiates strong brands from others is their ability to weave these building blocks in ways that align with the consumers as they continue to evolve. Branding itself is dynamic and continuously expands its scope to include newer elements that are relevant to the consumers’ changing lifestyles and preferences. ”
Rajeev Raja
Founder & Soundsmith, BrandMusiq
“Sonic branding is even more relevant today because brands need to be subtler in their communication. It’s more about making consumers feel the brand than think about it. Hence, having a sonic identity system that expresses your brand’s persona and key values becomes all the more important. Besides the purpose of overt branding, which is really the MOGO or what we call the musical logo, there is also a MOGOSCAPE, which is a surround sound for the brand. Both can be utilised to create different experiences. A MOGOSCAPE gives you the ability to immerse the consumer in your brand feeling. Music evokes emotions, and having a strategically thought-out sonic identity that is reflective of your brand, can actually help you operate from your deepest sense of purpose. It can help consumers feel your purpose rather than you just telling them what it is. So, it’s really the difference between a cognitive and an emotive experience; not just the conscious, but also the subconscious brand.”
While marketers and creative professionals agree on their continuing and evolving relevance, there are hardly any memorable jingles and mascots today. The onus of producing one and ensuring its timelessness is completely on the brand custodians…
Prathap Suthan
Co-founder, Bang in the Middle
“Most of the iconic jingles belong to a time when there was very little advertising happening. There was Radio and Television, but no YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Spotify; basically, the Digital mediums. And so, there were ample opportunities for these jingles to settle down and take root in our heads, much like the songs we’ve grown up with. Of course, it’s also because they are very good tunes, they are great assets for brands. Unless it’s a terrible product, why would anyone want to kill them, especially today, when they can be contemporized in so many different ways. There’s such a wide audio-visual pallet available - a jingle can be your ringtone, and with all the tech available, a mascot can literally host a talk show for the brand.”
Vejay Anand
CEO, Ironhill India & Branding Expert
“Like music, there have been and always will be jingles, but the ones that stay in perpetuity are few, maybe one in three-four years, if they are memorable. As for mascots, they must stand the test of time. For instance, R K Laxman created a character called ‘Gattu’ for Asian paints. It was a fantastic mascot, but when Piyush Pandey came up with the ‘Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai’ campaign, they removed Gattu because it did not fit in the scheme of things. So, as brands evolve, they tend to keep or drop their mascots. The Amul Girl, on the other hand, continues to resonate with people because of her adaptability. Similarly, Titan’s signature tune is everlasting. In my opinion, a more modern avatar of the Air India Maharaja will also do well, but what that could be, needs to be defined by the brand.”
