#BlastFromThePast: Cheil India’s Ipsita Nayak shares her all-time memorable ads

#BlastFromThePast is Storyboard18’s weekly column where we ask young creative professionals to pick old ads that they replay time and again, spots that give them writing inspiration, and commercials that never get old. This week Ipsita Nayak, creative group head, Cheil India picks ads of Hamara Bajaj, Amul’s “Doodh Ki Nadiya - Manthan”, and Fevicol’s ‘Moochwali’.

Read on.

“Hamara Bajaj” by Bajaj Auto

Humara Kal, Humara Aaj - Buland Bharat ki Buland Taswir - It was a song that summed up not just the pride of the Bajaj scooter owners but also beamed the hopes and ambitions of the post-liberalised India. As a 90’s kid growing up in an army family, the only vehicle that captured my heart, aside from the army truck I rode in while going to school, was the Bajaj Chetak.

The tune still brings back the memories of the gusting wind, the watery eyes, the twisting of the gears, and a balloon tied on the side mirror. It reminds me of a little me standing in front of the scooter seat with my arms extending sideways while my father glided the scooter. And cleaning it with my father every Sunday was a happy ritual that I still grin at.

Being one of the only few vehicles that a middle class family like mine could afford then, Bajaj Chetak was a family member who stood by through thick and thin.

“Doodh Ki Nadiya - Manthan” by Amul

It was probably the first exposure to folk music for every 90’s kid in the urban cities. Interspersed with the telecast of Ramayan and Mahabharat on Doordarshan, the iconic ad showed the process of milking, processing and loading it in a delivery truck - the ultimate White Revolution. I feel this was one of the primitive ads that endorsed economic independence of women and it kind of set a narrative around it.

Even after decades, the tune brings back the image of the dusty road with smiling rural women, and amongst them - a dusky beautiful face of Smita Patil (from the movie called ‘Manthan’ that was inspired by the Amul initiative).

As a child who hated milk, but did ghoomar on this milk song - I still end up humming the tune unconsciously while at work.

“Moochwali” by Fevicol, Pidilite

Being an art person, Fevicol has been a part of a lot of childhood memories - be it the last-minute late night rush to the stationery or acting silly in school while peeling off the dried glue on fingers in art classes. And being a mischievous child, I will always have silly accidents involving Fevicol - that now seem hilarious!

Of the many amazing campaigns over the years, the golden jubilee ad Moochwali stuck with me the most. The moustache is emblematic of masculinity and a girl having one definitely nudged for attention, especially in a time when sex-change was not a logical option. The story of the mooch sticking on the woman’s face the whole life, and people identifying her as a man while she has to perform all womanly duties is a classic play of oxymoron. While the ad might come across hilarious and bizarre to most, it definitely made me stare at a few questions that helped me shape my own identity while I was stepping out of my teens.

Also, the most interesting part was the roll-out of the campaign, about which I learnt much later after joining the industry. The ad film labelled as the ‘World’s Shortest Feature Film’, was precursored with a teaser campaign in cinema ads, print ads, outdoors and more before a launch premier on Friday!

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