Maruti Alto fuses mileage message into festivities

Maruti has rolled out a campaign for its Alto 800 this festive season, that focuses on the fuel efficiency of the car. Lowe Lintas and Partners has conceived the film.

The commercial shows a couple decorating the exteriors of their house with diyas (lamps). The husband, holding a Pooja ki thaali (a tray with material used for Diwali prayers), asks his wife where the rest of its contents need to go. She says that they need to be delivered to her parents’ house. He initially thinks about the fact that they live ‘so far’ away, but then says, ‘Let’s go’. The couple drive to their destination. As they reach it, the lady notes that the oil in the lamps on the tray is intact. The husband, referring to the car’s fuel gauge, drives home the mileage efficiency of the Alto 800. A voice over signs off saying, ‘Agar khusiyaan baatney se badhti hain, toh rukna kyon’ (If happiness increases with spreading it, why stop?).

Manohar Bhat, vice president (marketing), Maruti Suzuki India, said, “The Alto is India’s largest selling car and it’s known for its low cost of ownership and fuel efficiency. These two have become very important now because of the economic conditions. We’re linking those two benefits to festivals and are connecting it to the consumer. The film shows relationships and festivals which are an important part of our ethos.”

Naveen Gaur, president, Lowe Lintas, Delhi, added, “In India, festivals are celebrated by travelling. People go out shopping, meeting friends, relatives. Families get together to jointly celebrate. In such times a car with exceptional mileage is an ideal car to own. With the new Alto 800 commercial, Maruti Suzuki and Lowe Lintas wanted to integrate this insight, with the festival-led car buying season and the brand promise of ‘Let’s go’. Additionally it was an opportunity for us to infuse a sense of festivity into the market.”

The film is part of an integrated campaign. It went on air in the first week of October and will run through the festive season.

Credits
Client: Maruti Suzuki India
Agency: Lowe Lintas and Partners
Creative: Amer Jaleel, Shriram Iyer, Varun Goswami, Joy Sen Gupta, Kavita Kamath, Kshitij Chandel, Sahil Mehta
Business: Naveen Gaur, Syed Amjad Ali, Jaten Jais, Kunal Sharma
Planning: Anurag Prasad, Ketaki Chand
Client: Manohar Bhat, Himanshu Dahiya, Tushar Agarwal, Aditi Upadhyay,
Production: Crazy Few Films
Director: Anupam Mishra