HELP DESK

Short List
TitleHELP DESK
BrandAARAMBH
Product / ServiceHELP DESK
CategoryB03. Non-Food
EntrantDDB MUDRA GROUP Mumbai, INDIA
Entrant Company DDB MUDRA GROUP Mumbai, INDIA
Advertising Agency DDB MUDRA GROUP Mumbai, INDIA

Credits

Name Company Position
Amrut Satavalekar Ddb Mudra Group Films Executive
Amey Mone Ddb Mudra Group Copywriter
Rithwick Raghunath Ddb Mudra Group Associate Creative Director
Kashyap Joshi Ddb Mudra Group Associate Creative Director
Siddhesh Telang Ddb Mudra Group Associate Creative Director
Sanuree Gomes Ddb Mudra Group Art Director
Hanoz Mogrelia Ddb Mudra Group Group Creative Director
Louella Rebello Ddb Mudra Group Executive Creative Director
Sonal Dabral Ddb Mudra Group Chairman/Chief Creative Officer

Brief Explanation

Most schools in rural India lack basic facilities. Students don’t even have desks to write upon. They have to sit hunched on the floor for hours. This gives them bad posture, poor eyesight and bad handwriting. The key objective was to put an end to the children’s plight. But that was not easy because the solution had to be economical and sustainable. Not to mention simple and child friendly.

The Brief

Aarambh is an NGO that works for children and their problems. They were concerned about children in rural schools. As most schools in rural India don’t have adequate facilities. Students don’t even have desks to write upon. The kids have to sit hunched on the floor for hours. This gives them bad posture, poor eyesight and bad handwriting. So, Aarambh asked us to come up with a an easy and economical solution that would improve the quality of education in rural schools.

How the final design was conceived

Our starting point was the raw material. We needed something that was cheap and easily available. We zeroed in on discarded cartons. We collected used carton boxes from recyclers, corporate houses and retail outlets… so that we could create a portable desk. Then, using a pre-set stencil design, these cartons were cut and folded to create a desk that could also be used as a school bag. Thus, Help Desk was born.

Indication of how successful the outcome was in the market

Help Desk was very well received by children in rural schools. The idea of a desk that also works as a bag caught their fancy. It proved very useful in their day-to-day life at school. It helped them study more comfortably and cheerfully. It has also made their long walks to school easier by helping them carry their books. Most importantly, it played an important role in improving the quality of education in rural India.And it cost less than twenty cents per piece. We distributed Help Desks in over 600 schools in villages. Now, around 10,000 kids in rural India write with ease.With a desk under their laps, a bag over their shoulders, life at school is a lot more fun.