History through music video

Rajesh Baruah, producer, History Channel, has hit the high note with his new music video that went on air on music channels in July. It's not just another music video though.

It is based on Biography, the internationally acclaimed series on History Channel, and is quite aptly called the Biography Song. The video has been written produced and even shot by Baruah.

The music video is said to be one of the initiatives undertaken by the channel known for its serious and non-fiction content. Baruah claims the video is already a hit and is currently being aired on music channels and radio stations.

The song is about everyday people from different walks of life, and how the lives and experiences of those featured in Biography help in rejuvenating ordinary lives.

On the motive behind the music video initiative, Rajesh Sheshadri, vice-president marketing says that the idea was to "promote the Biography series besides making the channel more appealing to youth."

Biography deals with the lives of great people and highlights the fact that they were ordinary human beings once.

"We wanted to communicate this especially to the younger generation. And music is the best medium to reach out to the young," adds Baruah.

The video has been shot in the History Channel office and the office of its advertising agency Leo Burnett. It features people in the office besides some bystanders on the nearby streets. Baruah points out that since most of the facilities used were in-house, the expense incurred on the video is a modest Rs 500,000.

Reaching more than 200 million viewers in 70 countries in 20 languages, the History Channel claims to be the only international television network devoted exclusively to historical programming.

Although it came to India in November 2003, of late there's been a marked emphasis on making it more approachable to an Indian audience.

Roping in Diana Hayden to host the Biography series currently on air, besides launching a music video appear to be steps in that direction.