From innovation to education: Visa powers another dream to advance

Visa India has created a second film as part of its ‘Dream to advance’ campaign from 2012. The film created by BBDO India has had a digital release and is being screened in cinemas, while the TVC is yet to go on air.

The ad showcases Visa Debit cards enabling e-commerce, and hence empowerment, in rural areas.

Set in the deserts of Rajasthan, the film opens with a shot of a lady official travelling in a government jeep. She spots a group of women walking in the sand. The driver, her assistant, informs her that they are going to fetch water. On entering a girl’s school filled with cattle, she asks him about the whereabouts of the girl students. He explains that they have no time for school, as they have to walk for miles to fetch water. Disappointed with the state of affairs, she logs on to her computer and uses her Visa Debit Card to purchase  sewing machines. She tell him that with the Visa card, she can buy things that are not available locally. The machines soon arrive while she gathers the village women. Underlining the importance of education, she helps them sew Hindi alphabets onto clothes so that they can learn and practice while fetching water. The song playing the background elucidates the importance of education. The protagonist explains to her assistant that if girls cannot go to school, then the ‘school’ can come to them. The film ends with the voice over: “Visa Debit - Dream to Advance.”

On the earlier film, Josy Paul, chairman and chief creative officer, BBDO India, said, “Last year we told the story of an innovator – a teacher who makes a cycle generator in order to bring electricity to his village. It was a message of optimism, access and financial inclusion where using Visa Debit card online results in the achievement of a dream. The campaign was well received and helped the brand build equity, bring positive change across all brand parameters and enhance transactions and volume.”

On the current film of the campaign, he said, “This year we wanted to build on the journey we had begun. Our protagonist is a woman who understands the power of using her Visa Debit card for online shopping. She is using it to allow the women in her community gain access to education. We looked at the world around us and based on observation, research and other findings we came up with eight scripts on the subject of women's education. These were shortlisted to two scripts using consumer focus groups. We went with our collective gut to create the one you see.”

“We all know that because of the responsibility of household chores many women are unable to go to school as in this case where they have to walk miles to fetch water. We thought about the issue. How can Visa Debit Card help? It was an interesting question and set up. Ripe for a heartwarming idea,” Paul added.

Raj Deepak Das, executive creative director, BBDO India, said, “No matter where they live or come from, all women love fashion. So with the help of Visa Debit Card we thought why not fuse fashion with education. That’s how we created the concept 'If you can't walk to school, why not make the school walk with you'. When we went to Gulzar saab with the script, he loved the idea so much he wrote a moving anthem for education.”

Credits

Client: Visa India
Client team: Shubhranshu Singh, Jarmaan Randhawa, Gaurav Kathuria
Creative agency- BBDO India
Writers: Rajdeepak Das, Josy Paul
CEO: Ajai Jhala
Regional business director: Sidheshwar Sharma
Account director: Aleesha Patel
Account executive: Gaurav Bhagat
Art director: Sandeep Sawant
Head of planning: Rajat Mendhi
Agency producer: Divyang Pandaya
Production head (Mumbai): Hitesh Shah
Production house: Chrome Pictures
Director (film): Amit Sharma
Producers:  Prafull Sharma and Puneet Bhatia
DOP: Anay Goswamy
Music director: Clinton Cerejo
Lyrics: Gulzar
Costume: Kriti Malhotra

Also see: Visa Debit targets growing ecommerce market in India through new campaign