CASE STUDY
Amul Girl Is
Cheeky
and Humorous
A thumb-sized girl with chubby cheeks, round eyes, sporting blue hair in ponytail hairstyle
and wearing a short polka dot dress with a red and white bow is considered to be responsible for immense growth in sales of Amul butter since her birth in Mumbai in 1967. The
eredit for her conception goes to Sylvester daCunha, the erstwhile managing director ot
Advertising and Sales Promotion, an advertising agency who bagged the account of Amul
butter from its manufacturer, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMM).
Prior to this, butter had a boring image built by routine ads.
A revamp in image of Amul better was desired to combat the rival, Polson. Dr. Verghese
Kurien, the then Chairman of GCMMF wanted a mascot who would draw attention and
remain in
people's memory for long. The
creative
people at ASP said that "*we needed a giri
who would worm her way into a housewife's heart. And who better than a little girl? The
eity of Mumbai was flooded with hoardings and kiosks bearing the picture of this adorable
girl on a horse and the message below read Thoroughbread, Utterly Butterly Delicious
Amul." She became the moppet overnight. Forty years have gone by and she continues to
charm her fans till date on billboards, print ads, and hoardings. The Amul girl continues
to be the mascot for Amul butter. She has remained young, vibrant, cheerful, and relevant
through taglines on contemporary issues. The ad campaign is the longest running campaign
and has managed to enter the Guinness Book of World Records on that account. The popularity of this campaign can be gauged from the fact that a British company has introduced
butter in the name of "Utterly Butterly."
Within a couple of years of its launch Amul ads became topical dealing with contemporary social and political issues. For instance, when Naxalite movement became intense
in Calcutta, the Amul message on hoardings read, "Bread without Amul Butter, cholbe na
cholbe na ( won't do, won't do)." The Obama-Modi meet and friendship was greeted with
Buddy-buddy batein? (friendly-friendly talks). Amul Bread-butter Bromance!" When
Dhoni became the captain of Indian cricket team the ad said, "Dhoning A New Role! AMUL
DON'T SKIP This!"
The Amul ads continue to be humorous, witty, sarcastic, unapologetic, bold, suggestive
or sultry, and thought provoking. They poke fun at all those matters that capture headlines
in newspapers; labour strikes, corruption, scams, and so on. Some tongue-in-cheek ads
have evoked controversies and negative responses as well. "Indian Airlines serves Amul
butter
when it flies," said the cheeky Amul ad in 2001. Indian Airlines tried to frighten
the company by saying that they will stop serving Amul butter on their tlights unless the
Amul ads, which were criticizing Indian Airlines were restrained but the company did not
to this threat. Then, an ad during the Ganpati festival said "Ganpati Bappa More
yield
Ghya (Ganpati Bappa take more). This evoked negative reaction trom Shiv Sena. a political
withdrawn
party in Mumbai who threatened to destroy the Amul oftice if the ad was not
as the ad hurt their religious sentiments. Another ad mocking at MamataBanerjoe in 2011
when the
also ran into trouble in Kolkata. Protests came from Satyam Computer Services
confession on
ad saidSatyam Sharam Scandalum" upon Chairman Ramalinga Raju's
it
when
the funds of the company. "Indian Airlines serves Amul butterad or threatened to stop
flies." A furious airline demanded the immediate removal of the
misappropriating
serving Amul butter but the company didn't relent. Yet,
most of
the ads continue to bring
smiles to the readers' faces through their catchy phrases, reflecting the opinion of cheeky
Amul girl. Not only has the campaign sustained its topical nature but the relationship
between Amul and its advertising ageney, daCunha has also continued uninterruptedly.
Rahul daCunha, who has taken over the baton from his father, Sylvester explains the
reason behind this long-term relationship. He says, "I don't think
any other agency gets
the creative freedom that we have. There's a sense of trust that Amul has in us. And they
are hugely supportive. The
agency is a strong custodian of the brand, and it's across all the
brands we handle for them." A representative of GCMM, on the other hand, says that the
agency has never sought the company's permission before launching the ad and neither has
the company
and
asked them to. If the ads have
agency have faced it together.
ever
advertising
ever ran
into trouble then both the company