Iconic Ads: Bajaj Sunny – Simple Riding Machine

In the 1990s, youth between 16 – 18 years could drive a gearless two-wheeler with a license.

To capitalize on this a scooterette (a hybrid of a scooter and a moped), Bajaj Sunny was launched. It was cheaper than a moped, had better aesthetics but had the same fuel efficiency as a moped. It was positioned between a regular motorcycle and a scooter – a step-thru (a rider can sit on the vehicle and drive it by stepping through the frame and not over it like a motorcycle).

The brief to Ogilvy was that it was a very simple-to-use vehicle that anyone could drive without much training.

Prasoon Pandey worked on this. He developed the idea of showcasing Sunny as the Simple Riding Machine, so simple, that even unaware African tribals could drive it. However, it took months for the people in the agency to get convinced of the idea before they presented it to the Bajaj’s.

Prasoon presented it. Rahul Bajaj approved it and on seeing Prasoon’s passion, told him that Prasoon should direct it himself. The first time he was doing so.

It wouldn’t be fair to say that only great advertising did the trick for Sunny. The lightweight single gear scooter was easy to manoeuvre and balance, which was cheaper than the rest, making it a great choice for older teens/ learners. Also, mopeds lacked the aesthetics or the storage compared to a scooterette like Sunny.

It also goes that even though the advertising was recognized the world over, this commercial was stopped by Bajaj as it affected the sensibilities of people from Africa.