The Campaign

Around 400 million people in India across 95000 villages have never had access to electricity. TERI-an independent, not-for-profit research institute plans to change it through its Lighting a Billion Lives (LaBL) program. LaBL encourages women to manage micro-solar enterprises in villages which rent out solar lamps for as less as Rs 2 per day. However, inspiring women to join the program and to build quick acceptability for the concept in villages is a big communication challenge, given low level of education and literacy. To transcend the communication barrier, we launched Laltini (feminine for Lantern in Hindi). Laltini is an adorable girl child that looks like a solar lantern and is dressed in Green –signifying abundance, growth and prosperity, besides clean and safe energy. We used story-telling by Laltini through cartoon strips and posters to educate villages on micro-solar entrepreneurship and benefits of clean solar energy Vs polluting kerosene lamps. We also used Laltini as the face of the woman entrepreneur who reaches out for support to individuals, corporates and government agencies with ‘Be my friend’ campaign. A new LaBL website was followed by a monthly e zine and a quarterly newsletter that goes out to 1000 influencers and decision makers. TERI has now created more than 1000 women entrepreneurs in 1486 villages and lit the lives of 374000 people. More than 4,000 corporate and individual sponsors and 10 government agencies now support TERI in its efforts to light a billion lives.

The Brief

To build a strong emotional connection with women and children in villages-the key beneficiaries of the LaBL program. To transcend communication and literacy barriers with simple and interesting communication that educates villages on benefits of clean solar energy Vs polluting kerosene lamps. To build a human face for the program among partners who can support the program with loans/grants.

Results

TERI has now created more than 1000 women entrepreneurs in 1486 villages and lit the lives of 374000 people. More than 4,000 corporate and individual sponsors and 10 government agencies now support TERI in its efforts to light a billion lives. Salubai Chimaji Madhe saw light for the first time at 103, Mangi Bai’s grand daughter was born in the light of a LaBL lantern, Saadhna can now study in the evening and has got better grades, ……the list of stories is endless. TERI’s initiative has helped improve hundreds of thousands of lives by facilitating education of children at night, increasing working hours after sunset, reducing man-animal conflicts, increasing mobility of villagers at night, reducing use of unsafe kerosene lamps, safe childbirths at night and also been of immense help in medical exigencies.

Execution

Laltini was launched on July 19, 2012 as the official mascot of LaBL. Laltini set out to drive LaBL program communication through cartoon strips and posters to educate villages on micro-solar entrepreneurship and benefits of clean solar energy Vs polluting kerosene lamps. We also used Laltini as the face of the woman entrepreneur who reaches out to individuals, corporates and government agencies for support with ‘Be my friend’ campaign. A new LaBL website was followed by a monthly e zine and a quarterly newsletter that goes out to 1000 influencers and decision makers.

The Situation

TERI is an independent, not-for-profit research institute headed by Dr R K Pachauri -world-renowned economist and also the Chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize (2007) awarded United Nations Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change. It plans to encourage women to set up and manage micro-solar enterprises in villages which rent out solar lamps to millions of households with no access to electricity. However, inspiring women to join the program and to build quick acceptability for the concept in villages is a big communication challenge, given low level of education and literacy.

The Strategy

To transcend the communication barrier, we launched Laltini (feminine for Lantern in Hindi) as the face of LaBL. Laltini is an adorable girl child that looks like a solar lantern and is dressed in Green –signifying abundance, growth and prosperity, besides clean and safe energy. Laltini will represent the women entrepreneur who uses her illuminated lamp to show the way to better lives in villages. Laltini will drive all the communication for the program to make it instantly recognizable and build strong connect with rural masses.