Iconic Ads: Luna – Chal Meri

The 50-cc moped Luna became a winner in the 1970s. Launched by the Firodias, the cross between a bicycle and motorcycle was targeted at the middle class—men and women

The Luna was a light but tough vehicle that handled accident-prone potholed roads, dust & adulterated petrol.

Actresses like Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil were used in advertisements. Firodia also gave out Luna during cricket matches and at schools. He presented the moped to the “Man of the Match” winners in major domestic cricket tournaments.

Firodia believed it was time to take the next step. He wanted a campaign that was not gender or caste-based and should be able to communicate with any person in any region of the country.

Till then, Firodia had been working with a few local agencies, like Blaze Advertising in Mumbai and Tom & Day in Pune.

Given the new requirements, in the mid-80s, the account moved to O&M for a new strategy. The campaign was handled by Piyush Pandey (O&M)—among the first for him! Both Suresh Mallick and Mani Iyer wanted him to take the lead. He had just moved from account servicing to creative.

At the presentation, Piyush presented the three ideas to Arun Firodia. Arun looked deadpan and looked like he did not like anyone. After the third script, Firodia removed a toothpick he was biting and said while breaking into peals of laughter, ‘Teeno Bana Dijiye’! Talk about the client pulling a prank.

Luna’s campaign had characters like Ram Murari, a government employee saddled with work; Deepak Seth, rushing to meet his girlfriend; and Radha, a medical student. All had a big problem: being late. Luna showed how these characters could achieve their dreams with a little help from the moped. Interestingly, it focused on ordinary Indians who were in the process of moving up in life.

‘Chal Meri Luna‘ & ‘Safalta ki Sawari, Luna’ became popular taglines. And showcased its uniqueness “Luna karti pucca vaada, kharcha Kam, mazbooti zyada.”

Dilip Ghosh was the filmmaker. And the line Chal Meri Luna was inspired by the popular children’s song Chal Mere Ghode Tick Tick Tick from the 1959 movie Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan. Piyush remembered the line and changed it accordingly.

The campaign, was a watershed as it led to the 90s wave of advertising that used the local language and idiom to communicate a brand message.