The art of shadowgraphy revived in new MP Tourism TVC

The new TVC for Madhya Pradesh tourism is themed on the positioning "MP ajab hain, sabse gajab hain". The creative execution employs the talents of shadow artists from Bengal; shadowgraphy is believed to be an art form that originated in India, but is almost obsolete today. Mahesh Gharat, senior creative director (art) at Ogilvy & Mather, Mumbai, said, "We chose shadowgraphy because it's essentially a very Indian art form, even though it's seen in China and Europe as well. There's a newness to it as a creative execution, because it hasn't been seen on television before. It's an art form of storytelling and goes very well with the rustic aura of Madhya Pradesh."

WATCH the TVC (story continues below)

In the commercial, the shadows of hands and arms, set against a stark background, take the shape of animals, birds, trees and monuments found in the state, to the words of the jingle "MP ajab hain, sabse gajab hain". 

Pradyumna Chauhan, creative director (copy), added, "When it comes to Madhya Pradesh, a land dedicated to wildlife, to spectacular marble rocks, to royal palaces, to temples, to spiritual journeys to get in touch with your inner-self or to the joyous depiction of life in every mood, then it is probably true to say that ‘MP ajab hain, sabse gajab hain’."

A note from the agency said, "Like in the past, our current television commercial stays true to the fact that we Indians love our song and dance. Therefore composing a song was an obvious choice, albeit much more challenging this time. Because unlike previous efforts where we showcased a multitude of our offerings, this time we focused on fewer destinations - but each one of them having amazing stories built around them. So for instance we had to craft song lines around amazing facts like the hanging of ten elephants from a hall roof to test its strength, communicate that there is a castle which with water bodies on either sides looks like a ship more than a castle and many more. Definitely these are awe-inspiring facts but equally daunting task was to turn them into short and simple song lines. Many drafts and re-drafts later, we hit the right notes. The television jingle has been sung by acclaimed film and television actor, Raghuvir Yadav, who is a native of Madhya Pradesh himself."

Credits:

Agency: Ogilvy & Mather Mumbai

Creative team

Executive chairman and creative Director (South Asia): Piyush Pandey 

National creative director: Abhijit Avasthi

Creative director: Pradyumna Chauhan (Copy)

Senior creative director: Mahesh Gharat (Art)

Client servicing:

Vice president: Ajay Menon

Senior account executive: Rohit Sharma

Production house: Foot Candles Film Pvt. Ltd

Director: Vinil Mathew