Lead India: Love this; Hate that!

By Rajesh on February 2, 2008

Even though I haven’t followed the campaign closely, I have my questions about The Times of India’s – Lead India initiative. I could point to some gaps, but this post isn’t about that at all.
In times when I find most advertising flat, and uninspiring, comes this ad, part of the Lead India campaign. I am talking about the ‘Tree’ ad – I just LOVE this one – it gives me goose pimples every time I see it. But then the same campaign recently released their next film, with Amitabh Bachchan reminding us that India is set to take off, all we need now is our hero, who we are waiting for, and WHO will show us the right direction. There doesn’t seem anything wrong with that, isn’t it does there?
But why then, everyone time I see this ad, I cringe and feel disturbed. Why?
There is a hidden paradox that I notice in what the two ads seem to be saying. They are promoting the same initiative, but driving messages in different/ opposite directions.
Read on and tell me if you agree/ disagree:

  1. Uprooted tree and boy: Every time I see this ad play (mostly at one or the other movie that I am out to watch) I feel elated, motived to bring about change. It says ‘I’ need to make the beginning…
    A tree has come uprooted and is blocking the road. Everyone is impacted but prefers to wait, until our little boy decides to take things in his hands…others join in. Watch the ad, if you haven’t seen it yet:

    When I wrote my previous post about the CSR opportunity in the Delhi -Expressway Toll Plaza Crisis, I was somewhere inspired by this ad too, as by my own thoughts “Agar ham nahin karenge toh kaun karega?” (If we don’t do it ourselves, who will?).

Cut to the second ad:

  1. Amitabh Bachchan See it first (my apologies in advance to our non-Hindi speaking readers… I will try to capture the essence, but not sure if I will succeed fully. Let’s see):



    “…India is poised to take-off…, all that is needed now, is the search is on for someone who will give it the right direction and show it the correct path leadership. All that we are waiting for now, is the charioteer, who will lead us to victory. All that we need, is a leader who will bring to life dreams of our youth and who takes us to that peak, where the whole world is at our feet. THAT person is right here, right amongst us, and who will suddenly rise and whom we shall hand the flame and -proudly-ask to…’Lead India’.”
    This is a person, or God? If this person did not show it the path, India will not find direction? This one person will bring to life dreams of our youth? They do not know how to reach them, themselves? Why do we want the world at our feet? Why can’t we stand on our two feet and enable others too? Why do we want to ask someone to lead us? When did India become dependent on any one person? And today’s India?

Where the ‘tree’ ad says that each of us have the power to change, that “impossible is nothing”, that there is God in each of us, the latter seems to almost suggest towards an Avataar, a deity, who we should wait for and accept as our guide, our leader.
I know that’s not the intent of the initiative, but even then… I find “God within each” eminently more appealing . What say?

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  • Hi Guys,
    Lead India was an awesome ad, and guys u can watch more videos like this at www.buzzar.tv where they have a special category for social service messages.
  • Actually, how one percieves ads is entirely subjective.
    To put in my perspective, i do not see the ads propogating divergent views.Forif we see, the thought behind the Lead India initiative is to "identify new leaders for a new India, men and women with the vision and ability to empower India with the kind of political leadership that is so conspicuous by its absence.".Hence eventhough the leader resides in all of us,consensus and concentration of efforts has to be brought in by Leadership i.e. many led by one.If that is not observed,there would be an anarchist liberty,which is fatal to effective execution of constructive ideas and growth .And this is what the two ads precisely project.
    The tree ad rouses people to acknowledge the leader in them, for effective leadership can leave no stone(tree) unturned.It brings out what collective effort can do to change the staus quo.However, that does not mean that the advocates the absence of a beacon who could bind the leader within us all to a common cause.This thought is taken forward in the Big B ad where Amitabh Bacchan preaches on why we need to Choose an able leader,who through the collective efforts of able volunteers(such as in th tree ad),ascends India to heights never seen before.
    To deplore the existence of such leadership is to deplore the institution of Constitution(of a country) altogether.Simply put,why do we elect leaders if we think we all are able bodied and willed enough to MAKE A DIFFERNCE?Because 'Rule of all makes a fool of all'.
    Also, even if one feels any diiference in the messages,its my personal belief that the stark or subtle diiference in the ads would have been noticed only by the discerning eye.We sometimes do injustice by seeing things with lenses of an analyst and not a commoner.As a commoner i think,the ads succeeded in generating the desired passion and the pathos
  • well i dont get the point of the lead india quiz~~~what does the winner get???does he enter politics?? i agree the advertsing campaign are good ~~~but what are they for??
  • Hey Toby,
    Once you have visited us, will ensure that you become part of the Hindi speaking community ;). Plan that much awaited visit.
    Kishore is trying to do something like that with me right now when it comes to Free and Open Source Software - give me no choices! :)
    BTW - I started my media career with The Times of India but most of us as readers have a love-hate relationship with that publication - the largest mainstream and business dailies in the country are published by the group.
    Let me see if I can get inputs from someone at TOI on questions you seeded.
    It would also be interesting to gain their feedback on whether this was deliberate or a possible oversight.
    Cheers.
    Rajesh
  • Rajesh - I count myself as part of your non-Hindi speaking community, however from your analysis and Robin's comments the two spots could be "new social media" versus "traditional" advertising. Would be very interesting to know if any research was conducted and which ad resonated the most.
  • Its quite true actually...I feel the same while watching both the ads.....I think the power to change lies within which is shown perfectly in the tree ad....the initiative is to be taken from one among us...the common man and not any super human avatar of God himself.Every Indian has a role to play in making India a success
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