The Campaign

Our objective was to reach truckers along the 2nd longest roadways in the world, in a language that they understood best. So we found our creative idea at the back of every truck. In India, as a mandate, every truck has the line ‘USE DIPPER AT NIGHT’ at the back - alluding to the use of low beam to avoid the headlight at night. So we created a condom brand and named it ‘DIPPER’. We then packaged it by taking inspiration from truck art, a form of cult art that truckers and the trucking community could connect with.

Creative Execution

The condoms were distributed at medical clinics, service centers, restaurants, petrol pumps, convenience stores and touch points frequented by the trucker on the remote highways of India, across every state of India. The target audience ‘the truckers’ now also became the carriers of the message across the remotest of places where media couldn’t reach. They propagated safe sex by just driving their trucks across the length and breadth of the Indian Highway – which happens to be the 2nd largest roadway in the world. They reminded each other to use DIPPER condoms at night.

It would take years of sustenance from our end and research to eradicate this deadly epidemic. But steps in the right direction have begun. Yes we did promote the use of condoms and safe sex amongst a significant number of truckers. The activity was very well received by the entire trucking community as well as the Commercial Sex Workers interviewed. This activity has also drawn the attention of other large Public Sector organizations and the Govt of India who have all the resources to make a significant difference to the life of a trucker.

As India’s leading truck maker, it has been incumbent upon Tata Motors to go beyond profitability, and actual pioneer solutions for category-level issues. One such issue was creating awareness & propagating safe sex among truckers, the largest group of working professionals in India, that suffer from AIDS. Most truckers who engage with commercial sex workers are unaware of the consequences of unprotected sex. The key challenge was “reach”, since truckers typically drive around in remote highway areas, it’s actually impossible to reach them through traditional & non-traditional media. We had to find a new ‘direct’ channel to accomplish the improbable.

Instead of preaching to our audience, Tata Motors gave them a condom – the safest way to ensure their health on the highways. By endorsing, packaging and marketing these condoms, Tata Motors ensured there was an immediate increase in salience with the brand. Besides, truckers were constantly reminded of the brand as they were accustomed to seeing our message at the back of every truck. The packaging and the colors also connected well with them because it was inspired from ‘Truck Art’.