Amitabh Bachchan makes an appeal to address the cause of TB

Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) has rolled out a comprehensive awareness campaign for the treatment of TB featuring Amitabh Bachchan as brand ambassador. The campaign, conceptualised by Ogilvy & Mather, aims at addressing the key challenges that presently serve as an impediment to TB control in the country.

Both films showcase Bachchan in a character role. In one film, he plays the role of a shop owner who is speaking to an annoyed cricket fan. The fan is busy bashing his team for the woeful performance. Unfortunately, the customer constantly coughs as he talks and this is something noticed by Bachchan.

In the second film, Bachchan plays a taxi driver ferrying a young couple around town. The wife’s persistent cough is constantly ignored who seems to care more about the movie they are to see.

In both films, Bachchan playfully talks to the victims of TB and takes them to the hospital for treatment. He urges them to take a persistent ‘cough’ seriously as it could endanger their life. He advises them about the symptoms, the treatment and fact that it can happen to anyone.

The films end with Bachchan saying, “TB harega. Desh jeetega” (TB will lose. India will win)

Nidhi Dubey, vice president, global health strategies, said, “The essence of the campaign ‘TB Harega, Desh Jeetega’ is that TB can happen to anyone. With Amitabh Bachchan as the face of the campaign, O&M has managed to creatively present impactful messaging on TB which has been appreciated by the government, media, civil society and general public. The TVCs strike a perfect balance by making it appealing to watch and at the same time do not underlie the seriousness of the issue. The public health community is sure to take notice.”

Santosh Patil, senior creative director, O&M added, “The simple insight we tapped into is the optimism bias most people have when it comes to TB. Everyone thinks this will not happen to me when in fact it can happen to anyone. Our biggest challenge was being able to address this serious subject in a light but emotional manner, ensuring that we get people’s attention.”

Apart from TVCs, the campaign also uses radio, print and outdoor medium.

Credits:
Client: MCGM (Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai) and GHS (Global Health Strategies)
Creative agency: Ogilvy & Mather Advertising - Mumbai
Creative team: Abhijit Avasthi, Santosh Patil, Akshat Trivedi, Pankaj Vagal, Yogesh Bhagat
Account management: Ajay Menon, Roshni Mohan, Neha Agarwal