Hidden Nuggets: Symphony Kaizen – Auron Ko Jalan

It was in the late 90’s, that the market leader in branded room coolers Symphony, came with a cooler which looked like a window air-conditioner. It had good cooling and low noise – and for the untrained eye it looked just like an air conditioner.

At that time the penetration of air conditioners  in households was less… lesser than even cars!! As an air conditioner was perceived as a luxury, even elitist! Contextually, an air conditioner was used derisively like ‘you sit in your air conditioned cabins and…’

The brief came to Jagdish Acharya & his team at Mudra.

They conducted research to understand people’s attitude to air-conditioners. And it threw up a very interesting insight – people actually coveted it so much that they criticize those who have it! Sour grapes and jealousy!

It all began with a line Jagdish  wrote – Aapko thandak auron ko jalan! Apt and summarised everything succinctly!

The team came up with the thought of people bitching about those who have the luxury of air- conditioner only to realize that it was a cooler. Charming funny copy was written!

Filmmakers Namita Roy Ghosh and Subir Chatterjee were approached to do the films. They had apprehensions

They wanted the bitching to be devoid of logic. When you’re burning with jealousy you don’t even think what you’re saying. As inane as  “9 no. ka jootha pehan ke AC mein sota hai”

A young copywriter, Bhushan wrote the lines that went into the films. The creative team went along with improvisations

A cruel surprise followed though – many channels did not want to telecast the TVCs as they thought the over-the-top characters and the word “dakkan” was in poor taste!!!. So much for the ‘holier than thou’ attitude

And it went onto win awards! Talk of irony!