With 'Ab mera number hai', Uninor tells the world it has arrived

Mukta Lad, 18 January, 2010

Mumbai

One of the latest entrants in the telecom category, Uninor, has recently rolled out a TV-led campaign. The creative agency handling the brand is Leo Burnett. The brand sports the tagline 'Ab mera number hai' and leverages the Rs. 29 paise per minute proposition of the brand.

Speaking to Campaign India, Loveleen Raina, business unit head, Leo Burnett said, "Uninor is the 11th GSM telecom player to enter the country. Conventional wisdom suggests that once leadership is established in a category the best slot to occupy is that of a challenger. Uninor has challenged convention. Despite entering a well established category with strong players Uninor has carved a brand stance - that of a leader."

Watch two of the TVCs here:
 

One stark difference between Uninor and most other telecom brands today, is Uninor's decision to stay away from having a brand endorser. Explaining this decision, Raina said, “We have not constructed this brand along a single trajectory of creating aspirations. We want this brand to be placed in young people’s everyday lives and play an active role in them achieving their ambitions. We want it to be a brand that is inspirational more than aspirational. So we have not allowed ourselves to be bogged down by the clichés of the industry like good looking models, expensive foreign locations or high profile celebrities."

"Our view of the young is clear – they are their own heroes and role models and they appreciate honest and straight talk. We are not here to peddle razzmatazz, we are hear to make a difference in young people’s lives. You will see initiatives from the brand that will truly walk the talk”, she adds.

The campaign is a 360 degree one, including print and outdoor.

Speaking about the OOH campaign, Geetu Kashyap, creative director - art said, ‘The idea was to shoot people off the street, regular youth from across various walks of life, with a common thread running across them all – raw ambition. We did not want to show happy shiny people jumping with joy as most telecom brands tend to do. We have broken the clutter very successfully by staying true to the intensity of the brand idea”.

Raina is of the opinion that the two theme films take category ownership though bringing alive a simple insight.

Elaborating that thought, Abhinav Tripathi, creative director - copy said, “Most young people think of getting a mobile phone when they are preparing to step into the big world in order to chase their ambitions. The world has moved from ration cards to sim cards and our mobile number is our new address. Only if you have a mobile number can you really be sure that opportunities will find their way to you”.

The films have been produced by Rising Sun and directed by Shoojit Sircar.

Credit details:

Client: Uninor
Creative agency: Leo Burnett
National creative director: KV Sridhar
Creative directors: Abhinav Tripathi, Geetu Kashyap
Production house: Rising Sun
Director: Shoojit Sircar
Producer: Ronnie Lahiri
Client servicing: Loveleen Raina