Idea brings back old mobile poll ad, after similar AAP drive

MUMBAI: On December 23, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) decided to form a government in Delhi, with support from the Congress — after conducting an informal SMS referendum that asked the citizens of Delhi if it should take a shot at governance.

Idea had used a similar theme in its 2009 television campaign, with a spot that depicted a poll via SMS on whether shopping malls should be made on agricultural fields. So it made sense to release a fresh edit of that ad.

“We thought when it was happening for real, it’ll be good for the brand to remind people how Idea’s communication was ahead of its time,” says Sashi Shankar, CMO of Idea Cellular.

The initial thought to do a tweaked version of their old ad came from Sanjeev Aga, a member of Idea’s board of directors.

The agency, Lowe Lintas, created a 25-second re-edited version of the original 45-second spot within two days of being briefed. The ad, being a topical one, was aired only on news channels for five days.

Good thinking on the feet, quick turnaround time and a good example of recycling communication to associate the brand with one of the most important political events in the history of the nation.