Bombay Times turns 18, claims credit for city's style quotient

Bombay Times is in its 18th year. To celebrate, the The Times of India supplement has rolled out its first ever TV commercial. The film created by Taproot India tries to bring out that glamour is the essence of the supplement, and shows how it has seeped into the lifestyle of its readers.

The TVC shows several young Mumbaikars - a girl, a government official, a gas cylinder delivery boy, a milkman, a fisherwoman and a rickshaw driver included - all jazzily dressed. Their dressing makes them conspicuous given the nature of their work and the environment they are in. Throughout, a soundtrack keeps playing in the background whose words go - 'Style maara toh darna kya, thoda hero bana toh darna kya. Glamour hi hai koi chori nhi, zara filmy bana toh darna kya'. (What's the harm in being stylish or glamourous!) The film ends with text that says those who read Bombay Times are 'Born Glamorous'.

Priya Gupta, vice president (brand), The Times of India, said, "Bombay Times is a cult brand. It is unapologetically glamourous. It is in its 18th year now and that's the age when you turn an adult. Therefore, with this thematic campaign we wanted to target young readers and communicate the attitude that the supplement wears on its sleeves. The styling of costumes, choice of models and the music echo with the young readership of Bombay Times."

Agnello Dias, chairman, co-founder, Taproot India, said, "The idea was to push reality a bit to make it cinematically dramatic. Over time we can see how a certain sense of personal style has crept into all walks of life in the city. Whether it is the gelled hair on the delivery boy or the bling shoes being sold on the pavement... the city's sense of glamour and style has undergone a steady upward change. We thought it would be great to exaggerate the city's working class icons and the common man to put out a proud, unabashed statement about the city and the good life its citizens do not shy from aspiring towards."

On the media reach of the campaign, Nandini Dias, chief operating officer, Lodestar UM, said, "We launched the campaign at the IIFA awards and have taken it to channels falling under the Times Television Network - Zoom, Movies Now, Times Now, ET Now. The campaign will be seen on other lifestyle channels, English movie channels and some of the reality shows as well. It will also run in some of the cinema theatres in Mumbai."

The campaign, spread across TV, radio, outdoor, print and on-ground activation, will run for the next four to five months.

Unplugged moments:

Taproot's Dias said that the film was shot at unusual places in Mumbai where one could see extremes - like slums on one side and high-rise buildings on the other. "While shooting, lot of people on the streets would wonder as to what was going on and of course, everybody would laugh at the models seeing the way they were dressed," he recollected. He added that Taproot India had worked with Native Films for the first time for this particular campaign. "Working with Vikash (the director) was great fun. The production went smoothly especially for a team that was working together for the first time," said Dias.

Credits:

Client: BCCL - Rahul Kansal, Priya Gupta
Agency: Taproot India
Creative directors: Agnello Dias/Santosh Padhi

Writer: Agnello Dias

Production house: NATIVE FILMS

Director: Vikash Nowlakha

Producer: Prithvi Raj Luthra

Music: Samiruddin

Singer: Nayantara

Media agency: Lodestar UM