Brief Explanation

The key challenge was to create communication that was simple, memorable and cost-effective. Usage of incense sticks is spread across classes and includes a large mass of illiterate people. The communication had to be accessible to everyone across the board without alienating any segment of the target group.

The Brief

The client wanted us to create communication that made our brand of incense sticks, Cycle Agarbattis, synonymous with worship on a shoestring budget.

How the final design was conceived

The idea was executed by building intricately detailed idols of gods from the Hindu pantheon. Borrowing from the predominanticonography of the gods, preliminary sketches were made. 2090 pounds of bicycle scrap was collected. The scrap was recycled into three sculptures, a 6 1/2 ft. Ganesha (the elephant god) , a 10 ft. Durga (goddess of war) and a 12 ft. Natraj (dancing manifestation of Shiva).The literal expression of the brand promise 'With Cycle comes God' the statues created an engaging mnemonic, comprehensible across class and language.

Indication of how successful the outcome was in the market

Worshippers prayed to and photographed the idols, spontaneously sampling the product by lighting the incense sticks placed at the idols’ feet. They also carried self-perpetuating images of the ad, by clicking thousands of pictures by the idols’ side. The clutter-breaking value of the idea brought almost a million rupees worth of free media coverage, word-of-mouth publicity and online discussions for the brand, ensuring exposure across multiple touch-points with minimal spends.