Summary

The Brooke Bond Red Label (BBRL) Tea promise of “Swad Apnepan Ka” (Taste of Togetherness) states that the world could be a more welcoming place if one could put aside one’s prejudices and accept others despite their differences. Our objective was to make the “Togetherness” promise come alive in a way that affected society. Only if society comes together and participates could BBRL say that they are “walking the talk”. Research showed that gender bias and behavior towards people with mental needs were amongst the top 3 out of 9 issues in India. Thus, these excluded sections of the society had to be given stage where they could speak about their story, struggles and need for acceptance; a stage with a universal language beyond boundaries- that of music. 2016-17 heard a new voice- that of transgenders. Despite the Supreme Court ruling, society continue to shut its doors to them. They are left begging or resorting to prostitution to make ends meet. Our strategy was to include the transgenders into the fabric of our society. Thus, we created a platform- the 6 Pack Band in collaboration with YFilms ft. 6 transgenders in 6 music videos over 6 months. The songs spoke the language of BBRL. Its debut song “Hum Hai Happy” (remake of Pharell William’s Happy) recounts their philosophy of being happy despite the adversity their subjected to. In 2016, these transgenders voiced their need for equality and in 2017, they became the ambassadors of change. In 2018-19, BBRL continued this journey by taking up a cause, as meaningful and pertinent as that of the first year- the cause of special needs. Kids with special needs are treated differently and stereotyped at social gatherings, due to their unusual mannerisms and inability to express themselves. Differently-abled children are intelligent and talented. What they needed is a platform to showcase their truly ‘special’ qualities. We created India’s first special band ft. 6 autistic kids. Every song lent a message of inclusion, of hope and positivity. The impact of these two bands was not just limited to the brand, but rather the entire nation that came together to converse and share the causes: • BBRL became the NO.1 tea brand in India • Our key brand metric, “Is a brand that makes the world a more welcoming place” touched 64%. (Source: MillwardBrown) • Brand penetration increased by +420BPS • Over 50mn views on social media • Campaign reached more than 125mn digitally • Over 50 media partners including, TV, radio, print, OTT, telcos, influencers etc. came on board • The French consulate added ‘T’ for transgenders as a gender option in visa applications • Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s CEO lauded the initiative • Priyanka Chopra, Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh khan and many such a-listers supported the initiative over its course BBRL used the power of POP-CULTURE TO CREATE POP-CULTURE. 12 songs over 2 years have brought India together to deliberate over two serious issues and celebrate togetherness by accepting everyone for who they truly are.