MASTER JI

Bronze Spike
TitleMASTER JI
BrandBYJU'S
Product / ServiceBYJU'S BRAND FILM
CategoryA02. Fiction & Non-Fiction Film: 5-30 minutes
EntrantBYJU'S Bengaluru, INDIA
Idea Creation BYJU'S Bengaluru, INDIA
Production DORA DIGS Mumbai, INDIA
Post Production DORA DIGS Mumbai, INDIA

Credits

Name Company Position
Divya Gokulnath BYJU'S Strategy
Vineet Singh BYJU'S Strategy
Vishal Sagar BYJU'S Writer & Co-director
Akshay Shah Dora Digs Producer
Sameer Sharma Dora Digs Director
Sneha Khanwalkar Dora Digs Music Director

Why is this work relevant for Entertainment?

Master Ji is relevant to Entertainment because it entertains but not just entertains. It serves a higher purpose of educating, making people realise and forcing them to act. During the pandemic, people were put through tough situations. Some more than others. We collectively celebrated the contribution of Frontline workers. But there were certain communities who were completely forgotten. Teachers was one of them. Master Ji showcases their struggle, pain and perseverance to the world. It is a film / a realistic account / a life that many have lived but only a few witnessed.

Background

SITUATION: BYJU'S is all about teachers. In fact, the EdTech company is named after one. In the post-pandemic world, online classes was the buzz word. The plight of children and parents made headlines as they struggled to adapt to online teaching. But teachers' struggle went unnoticed. The changes they had to face. The things they had to learn and unlearn. BRIEF: BYJU'S is an EdTech brand that is fast replacing tuitions and private coaching. This has led to many teachers losing on additional income. Teachers see BYJU'S in negative light and consider it as a brand working against them. OBJECTIVE: - Create a positive brand image in the teacher community - Create Brand Love among primary audience - Students and their parents

Describe the creative idea

Pandemic forced schools to go online. Teachers had to reinvent themselves overnight. But their struggles went unnoticed. On the occasion of Teachers' Day - the day India celebrates its teachers, we released a film highlighting the struggles, pain and perseverance of teachers. Our protagonist was a teacher just 2 years away from his retirement. His immense experience of 30 odd years became irrelevant overnight. And at the age of 58, he is forced to change. When he fails to change, he decides to quit. A call from one of his ex-students who is fighting the pandemic as a Doctor makes him realise his contribution and motivates him to do better. The film made people respect teachers even more while creating a positive sentiment for BYJU'S among teachers & our TG.

Describe the strategy

Our task was clearly to get teachers on our side while generating some positive buzz around the brand. It'll take time to fix the negative sentiment for the brand but slowly and steadily the change needs to happen. As classes moved online, millions of teachers across the world had to change their ways. Even the most experienced became interns or freshers. However, as this shift happened, their problems went rather unnoticed. It was parents unable to juggle between jobs and online schools and kids not being able to adjust to online school that took the centre stage. On Teacher's Day, we showcased the story of an about-to-retire teacher and his struggles to adjust to the new normal. It worked wonders as BYJU'S was seen as giving voice to Teachers and the due respect too. Teachers loved it and it created a lot of positive sentiment for the brand.

Describe the execution

The film was released on Teacher's Day - the day India celebrates its teachers. Teachers hold an important place in Indian culture and are often compared to Gods. So Teachers' day was the perfect day for us to showcase the pain and struggle of teachers and make India realise their plight. The film was released on all brand channels and was heavily promoted. It was duly supported by an influencer campaign that amplified the reach while making people think of the contribution fo teachers in their lives. The film was picked organically by many celebs and influencers as the film and its message resonated with them.

Describe the outcome

The film received tremendous response. Impressions - 2 Billion + Reach - 40 Million + Views - 36.5 Million + Engagement - 1.8 Million + The week before the campaign, the sentiment for the brand stood at 8% Positive | 20% Negative | 68% Neutral After the film, the sentiment changed to 42% Positive | 6% Negative | 48% Neutral The brand received positive PR from media and publishers as well. Many teacher bodies too spoke positively about the brand.

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