New Mahindra ad 'rises' to the occasion

On location

Mahindra CEO, Ashok Thakur says the idea behind the latest campaign was to generate awareness of the revitalised Mahindra offering that is currently the fastest growing automotive brand in South Africa (Source: RGT SMART). As South Africa has emerged from the recession, Mahindra has launched a host of new products and there was a need to communicate these achievements with its target market.

Actors

"The ad centres on the premise that everyday heroes are people who quietly go about making the world that little bit better. They don't brag and they don't do things for plaudits, they simply see something that needs to be done and go about doing it."

It draws a parallel between these people and the cars that they drive and includes the idea that you can always rely on Mahindra to rise to the occasion. This is perfectly in line with Mahindra's current global positioning of 'Rise' which rests on three brand pillars: Alternative Thinking, Accepting No Limits and bringing Driving Positive Change.

The global 'Rise' positioning for the Mahindra brand was launched last year based on the insight that Mahindra vehicles are now more modern looking and are all about comfort and technology. These cutting edge features illustrate that Mahindra is stepping up, or on the 'rise'," explains Thakur.

Joe Public CD Xolisa Dyeshana says the aim of the new TV ad was to make the concept of Rise relevant to the South African market while at the same time adopting and differentiating this statement.

"We identified that 4x4 owners are often viewed as show offs and conformists who over spend. However, Mahindra stands out in this category given that the brand is all about hard work, being authentic, honest and unassuming, offering value and keeping it real - basically; what you see is what you get."

The objective of the campaign was therefore to position the Mahindra in the minds of consumers as the 'everyday hero' and also showcasing the Mahindra XUV 500 and Scorpio single and double cab models.

The new campaign was launched on 18th August 2012 and consists of a main 45-second launch TV ad, along with a 30-second cut-down. The local TV ads will be aired to coincide with international rugby matches. The campaign also has a digital presence i.e. on the web, Twitter and Facebook and will be complemented by print ads in Sunday newspapers.

Thakur says that the ad has the distinction of being flighted internationally in territories such as Australia and South America. This highlights the first time a locally produced Mahindra ad is being used in the international market.

"One of the biggest challenges associated with creating this globally relevant execution was that the ad had to fit in with each territory/market in which it's flighted. For example, cast selection was key. We had to go through a careful selection process with a specific focus on their appearance as they had to have a broad ethnic and cultural appeal. "

Account Director Samantha Samuels, adds; "There's always a danger that a concept like this, that has to go through so many interested parties will get killed by committee. Seeing as this idea stood up to such scrutiny and made it through to the final ad, says a lot about the way it resonates with everyone."

The process of conceptualising and creating a home grown ad for an international audience has been so successful that the local team presented to the global chairperson of the Mahindra group, and the advert will be adapted for the South Asian region.

"I'm confident that the success of the campaign will afford us the opportunity to do more for the brand on a global scale in the future," concludes Thakur.