BackPainting India red, in style
Painting India red, in style
PremiumThe Economist’s global campaigns have won many international awards
Trust The Economist to come up with such witty slogans and sharp portrayals. The celebrated business magazine, published by the UK-based Economist Newspaper Ltd, launched its first commercial campaign in India last month.
The campaign is similar to the iconic advertising that The Economist is globally known for. The India campaign follows the “white out of red" theme that has been the hallmark of the magazine’s advertising. Executed by Mumbai-based ad agency Ogilvy and Mather, the global theme has been tweaked effectively to give a local context.
Read by 1.3 million readers, the weekly magazine known for its crisp and incisive reportage is available in 201 countries and has launched ad campaigns in almost three-fourths of them.
The magazine plans to nearly triple its India circulation, from 17,636 currently to 50,000 by 2010, by strengthening its distribution and marketing reach. “Advertising has multiplied the effect of the product globally, and we are sure the communication will help in building awareness about The Economist in India," Guha Thakurta adds.
“While the format is consistent with the international advertisements of The Economist, we had to add the flexibility for interpretation in the Indian market," says Sumanto Chattopadhyay, executive creative director, Ogilvy and Mather.
Red slides embossed with a single letter reinterpret the alphabets in an Indian context. The accompanying word and a minimalistic sketch put a piquant spin. For example, the slide saying “R for religion" has a sketch of cricket stumps. “Cricket is religion for India, so the connect here is clear," says Chattopadhyay.
The magazine is spending Rs3 crore on its advertising. The media plan includes a presence in select business publications, on the Internet and outdoor landscape in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. “There is a general awareness in India on what The Economist is, but the perception is very narrow and centred on being only about the economy," says Guha Thakurta.
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