Even in her 50s, the Amul Girl has far greater clout than any brand ambassador in India. And India's largest dairy organisation may soon cash in on that. Sohini Das reports.
Advertising industry veteran Sylvester daCunha, the creator of the iconic 'Amul Girl' campaign that started in the 1960s, has died, the Gujarat-based milk cooperative that owns the dairy brand said on Wednesday. "Very sorry to inform about the sad demise of Shri Sylvester daCunha, chairman of daCunha Communications last night (Tuesday) at Mumbai," said Jayen Mehta, managing director of Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF).
The Amul campaign has been telling stories of India through the hoardings, captivating Indians of all ages.
The likes of megastar Amitabh Bachchan, cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and Rahul Dravid, veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal, novelist Shobhaa De among other prominent public figures have chronicled the story of the 'little girl in polka dots' in a book now.
Yes, the girl in a polka dotted dress, with a matching bow in her hair, for whom no subject is taboo, no individual beyond her jibes, whom we know fondly as the Amul Girl, has just completed half a century peering down billboards.
Paying homage to father of white revolution in India Dr Verghese Kurien, who catapulted India from being a milk-deficient country to the world's largest milk producer, 'Amul's' mascot for the first time ever was seen weeping (since 1964) in an advertisement.
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The creation of the Amul brand and its famous mascot gave a rural revolution a durable competitive edge.
This is not the first time Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation that owns brand Amul has chosen an unconventional method to protect its brand.
Amul Co-operative Ltd takes dig at CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani.
Amul is overhauling its branding and distribution strategy to keep pace with the changing times.
Boardroom disputes have marked the tenure of pretty much every chairman of the co- operative - from its founder Verghese Kurien to Chaudhary's predecessor, Parthi Bhatol.
This is one controversy the Amul girl can't make fun of. For, it is about the company and the brand she has been endorsing for over 30 years.
The cartoon appeared to support the new policy of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' enunciated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as a call for a boycott of Chinese products.
Tamannaah Bhatia bagged an endorsement for Mysore Sandal Soap but not everyone's happy about it.
Brands are turning up the pitch on voter participation, targeting millennial consumers.
Adman Rahul da Cunha fondly remembers his uncle, who passed into the ages on January 7.
India has a history of successful mascots. The adorable Amul Girl has been gracing hoardings with topical punch lines. And Maharaja, launched way back in the 1940s, continues to represent the Air India with a new look since 2015.
Pond's, Parle-G, Cadbury, Asian Paints and Amul have captured the changing face of India through the seven decades
As Shyam Benegal turns 89 on December 14, Subhash K Jha takes a look at 10 of his best films and tells you where you can watch them.
Paloma Sharma asked some of the cosplayers of Mumbai Comic Con to tell us what they did when they weren't dressed up in costumes.
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The mascot has gone off air now, but not before helping the Gujarat-based detergent brand script the perfect win for an underdog in the eighties.
In the run-up to Independence Day, Rediff.com looks at some products that have stood the test of time and continue to tug at the Indian hearts.
Two giant brands get into a slugfest over the goodness of ice creams and frozen desserts, reports Sohini Das.
The fourth season of Amul Voice of India's musical talent show on Star Plus will see the kids' mothers joining them on the show. Aptly titled Amul Voice of India -- Mummy Ke Superstars, the show kicked off on Saturday [every Saturday and Sunday at 9pm].
"There is a recent trend of people expecting that everything has to be done by the government," he said.
Mohammed Khan, co-founder of one of India's largest ad agencies, Rediffusion, talks about how the business has changed.
The top posts on social media from your favourite Bollywood celebrities.
But how often has a brand mascot been able to single-handedly define the entire brand value proposition? And also help create a separate identity for the brand?
In 1989 when Bajaj came out with their legendary and elegant Hamara Bajaj campaign, that looked more at apna India, rather than the scooter, and at all hues of scootered Indians, it drew millions of eyeballs and was brilliantly successful.
Bhargavi Zaveri & Radhika Pandey explains how complexities of foreign exchange rules are used by India Inc to dispute contractual obligations.
Amul Tamboli tells us how he fell in love with Swapna.
'Degrees get you into the room, it is the attitude that counts,' says adman Madhukar Kamath.
No more a paper tiger, the Advertising Standards Council of India will partner the Department of Consumer Affairs to enforce better compliance.
The AIB Roast of Karan Johar, Arjun Kapoor and Ranveer Singh may not have gone down well with certain sections of people, but Bottoms Up's incisive social commentary, peppered with delightfully subtle double entendre, still enjoys unprecedented success.
At Sabarmati Ashram that very hot summer evening, some had come to see and feel the place where Bapu lived. Some had come to be alone on the lawns after a disappointing Class 12 result...
Zarreen Khan's book Koi Good News? is hilarious journal of a reluctant Indian couple's journey into parenthood.
'The first 55 years of Natwar Singh's life give a fascinating narrative of our diplomacy,' says Ambassador B S Prakash after reading One Life is Not Enough.
No-Punchline humour reminds us how in our daily lives, we all are by turns 'The Corrupt Politician we criticise,' 'The Chauvinist Male we frown upon,' 'The Rule Breaker we deride through our Facebook posts,' 'The Communal Virus we so easily lampoon' and 'The Bad Artist we spoof.' In a land where the aforesaid prototypes are our major sources of 'funny,' is there an audience for the NPL kind of humour, asks Sreehari Nair.
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