Reaction to the Innovative Advertising Strategy

THE STIMULUS SENT:
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PONDICHERRY TOURISM CAMPAIGN

How do you sell something when you have 'nothing' to sell? This campaign titled "Nothing's Better" for PONDICHERRY TOURISM, got us rave reviews. Would like to know what you think of this.
Vinod Natesan
Mayan Consultants International
Mumbai

THE RESPONSE SO FAR:

1)
From: gksathyan
To: natesanvinod
Subject: RE: Innovative Marketing Strategies
Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2007 07:06:03 +0000

Awesome Vinod. Very impressive.

Sathyan

2)
From: sankar
To: Vinod Natesan Sent: Sunday, August 19, 2007 11:59:31 AM
Subject: Re: Innovative Marketing Strategies

Hi Vinod,
Hope this note will find you fine fettle.
Yesterday being a holiday, yes we started 5 day week from this month, I was going through your mail in a relaxed mood. Vinod, it is a great work and something different, thought provoking.
I had not been to Pondichery though I have few friends there. It used to be a French colony and still it create that feel once you go there, I believe
Sankarnarayan
Sterling Publications, UAE

3)
From: Suman Srivastava
To: Vinod Natesan Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 9:51:34 PM
Subject: RE: How do you sell something when you have nothing to sell? Do visit my blog to find out.

Brilliant.

Cheers
Suman

4)
From: christine chastain
To: Vinod Natesan
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 6:14:28 PM
Subject: Re: How do you sell something when you have nothing to sell? Do visit my blog to find out.
Boy, what wouldn't I give to be in Pondy right now! I love the ads...

5)
From: diganta barua To: Vinod Natesan
Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2007 8:37:08 PM
Subject: RE: How do you sell something when you have nothing to sell? Do visit my blog to find out.

Super stuff. Singleminded idea, well executed. Great campaign for Pondy.

Diganta Barua, Credence Consulting

6)
Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2007 15:43:38 +0530
From: nairmpTo: natesanvinod
Subject: Re: Innovative Marketing Strategies

Hearty Congrats Vinod, I like the spirit. May Success prevail in all your endeavours... M P Nair

7)
From: Carriappa P M
To: Vinod Natesan Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 12:38:00 PM
Subject: RE: How do you sell something when you have nothing to sell? Do visit my blog to find out.
Hi Vinod,

Good work! Deja vu Mauritius ads years ago.
Regards

Cari
8) 
I think the concept and the executions are very strong. Nice work!
Too often I have seen great work by me and my teams go unused by government agencies. Unfortunately,
it tends to go with the territory of governments being cautious and the "decisions by committee."
At least it seems like they liked your approach.
Posted by Ed Katz
   9)
Amazing work Vinod.Creativity at its best. I would love to hear the silence of NOTHING some day in pondy.Damn ive missed such an unmatched & unparalleled destination as of now.Believe me,you have beautifully promoted pondy without using anything(in fact by using NOTHING)
Posted by Shobhit Mishra
    10)
Have visited Pondy a few times spanning a decade, happy to note that the essence remains untouched.
 The water front hasn't changed in decades and so are the areas around the main markets like the mission street. The Water front areas, the quite bars with enchanting sea view are worth dying for and remain uniquely french.Good work, keep it up.
Sudhakar.Posted by Sudhakar Komaravolu
    11)
Ian CROMPTON has indicated you are a fellow group member of Media & Entertainment Professionals:
I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.Absolute genius promo on Pondicherry.
- Ian
    12)
Having recently visited Pondicherry after many years, happy to note that the proposition for the town
 remains the same it was 2 decades ago..Unspoilt by tourism!You've caught it beautifully!
Cheers! Sundarraj Mahadevan
  13)
Seriously - love it, and would like to see more of what you're doing... Do you have a web site
set up besides the blog? No reason why we couldn't sell a bit of that talent on this side of the world
Chuck Bogardus
   14)
Perhaps a good alternative would be to consider how the concept involved -- the "anti-resort,"
as it were -- can be applied to other products/services. There's nothing wrong with using the concept
as a "hook" to gain attention. Then you move on to what you've got to offerand why it's better than what
your competitors are offering.
Bill Brody
    15)
Very cool Vinod, you have successfully (and masterfully I might say) created the perfect social network pear.
 Congats. Please connect with me we have much to discuss.promise to be entertaining and thought provoking
Alan Munroe
    16)
Amazing creatives and body copy. A great differentiated campaign stance. Was it never released?
October 2 SRIKANTH RAMAN
    17)
very nice stuff vinod...actually Vinod Sir :) I especially liked the pondicherry campaign...totally
bang on...how are you? and which part of the country do you operate from?
ANAND DAMANI
    18) 
    Excellent ads Vinod - well done !Posted by Debashis Dey 

Pondicherry Tourism Campaign-Radio .15 secs

Title: Sounds like nothing

The spot opens with the sounds of a wave approaching and crashing onto the shore, then rolling away. There is no other sound to be heard except for more waves rolling in. After a few repetitions of this, we hear the birds squawking and chirping, interspersing the sound of the waves. Then it goes back to the sound of waves. This sound fades a little to bring in a new sound, that of an elongated, deep and contented sigh.

MVO: Silence. Solitude, Serenity.
Pondicherry. Nothing’s better.

Note: This was an idea from Ms Shanmughapriya who now works for a radio channel. Pillai did the developing and finishing of this spot. This again is simple to make, adaptable , on strategy and stunningly simple!

Pondicherry Tourism TV Commercial- 15 secs

Title: Still Life

The film opens on a well known location in Pondicherry, like the Esplanade on the waterfront. The scene is unmoving, just as if the whole scene is a still photograph. There is no movement, no traffic, no sound. A super appears on this frame, which reads ‘Main street. Tourist season’. This scene continues for a good ten seconds. Then all of a sudden, a bird, maybe a seagull, flies across the frame, squawking.
SFX: Cries of the bird, as it flies past across the frame

The camera now moves to follow the flight path of the gull, as the viewpoint of someone watching it fly. The camera moves back to its original position, capturing the very same frame as before.

Of camera we hear a deep, contented sigh. And the film fades into darkness, from top to bottom as if somebody’s eyes are closing.

MVO, Super and Branding: Silence. Solitude, Serenity.
Pondicherry. Nothing’s better.

Note: The concept came from me as a planner and the Creative Director (Pillai) happily did the narrative and finished it. This had the advantages of simplicity of production, adaptability to any duration, stunning originality and adherence to the brief. Milind Dhaimade who was working in Mumbai as the National CD loved it when we read it out to him.

Pondicherry Tourism Campaign- Leaflets

Pondicherry Outdoor Campaign- Roadsigns

Pondicherry Tourism Outdoor Campaign- Main Street

Pondicherry Tourism Outdoor Campaign- Resorts

Pondicherry Tourism Outdoor Campaign- Beach

Pondicherry Tourism Print Campaign- Investor Promotion Ad 2

Pondicherry Tourism Print Campaign- International Yoga Festival

Head line: In the silence of nothing, your soul plays your song.

Body: Pondicherry hosts "Shunyata"- the first World Yoga Conference. For a month, study interact, imbibe and assimilate with the great yogis of our time. In a spiritual effort to achieve the point of total surrender and total salvation. Aptly, in a land better known as the Culture Cauldron of the World - Pondicherry

Tag: Pondicherry. Nothing's better!

Pondicherry Tourism Print Campaign-Gallery for Two

Headline: In the absence of the gallery, you play only for each other.

Body: The solitude calms egos, unmasks pretences, lowers defences and sets the tone for souls
to synchronize.

Tag: Pondicherry, Nothing's better!

Pondicherry Tourism Print Campaign-Sounds of Silence

Headline: In the silence of nothing, listen to each other.

Body: The solitude calms egos, unmasks pretences, lowers defences and sets the tone for souls to synchronize.

Tag: Pondicherry, Nothing's better!

Pondicherry Tourism Print Campaign- Right Notes

Headline: In the silence of nothing, you hit the right notes.

Body: The solitude calms egos, unmasks pretences, lowers defences and sets the tone for souls to synchronize.

Tag: Pondicherry, Nothing's better!

Pondicherry Tourism Print Campaign- Investor Promotion-1

Headline: Gain plenty from nothing!

Body Copy: Consider a cultural cauldron of people, religion, art and spiritualism. Consider the increasing number of people seeking its silence, solitude and privacy.Consider its wealth of untouched natural resources and rich heritage. Consider the concessions and benefits it offers investors who add to its infrastructure, without doing in its promise of peace. And suddenly you see, as an investment opportunity, nothing's better than Pondicherry!

Tag: Pondicherry, Nothing's better!

Pondicherry Tourism Print Campaign - Yoga Festival.Shunyata

Headline: Nirvana is to feel nothing.

Body:Pondicherry hosts Shunyata- the first World Yoga Conference. Aptly named 'Shunyata'(nothingness), this conference seeks to converge Bhakta,Hatha, Tantra and Kundalini Yoga. For a month, study interact, imbibe and assimilate with the great yogis of our time. In a spiritual effort to achieve the point of total surrender and total salvation. Aptly in a land better known as the culture cauldron of the world- Pondicherry.

Tag: Pondicherry. Nothing's better!

Pondicherry Tourism Print Campaign - Beach

Headline: Beach. Rocking party in progress.
Body Copy: Pondicherry, a place where the main activity is inactivity.Allowing for moments of quiet contemplation or a purging of negativity into nothingness.Facilitating insightful one on ones with your soul.And the absence of a 'must do and 'must see' lists making for a 'must come to' state of mind.
Tagline: Pondicherry Nothing's better.

Pondicherry Tourism Print Campaign-Streets

Headline: Busy Street. Peak Hour Traffic.
Body Copy: Pondicherry, a place where the main activity is inactivity.Allowing for moments of quiet contemplation or a purging of negativity into nothingness.Facilitating insightful one on ones with your soul.And the absence of a 'must do and 'must see' lists making for a 'must come to' state of mind.
Tagline: Pondicherry Nothing's better.

Pondicherry Tourism Print Campaign-Main Promenade

Headline: Main Street . Tourist Season.
Body Copy: Pondicherry, a place where the main activity is inactivity.Allowing for moments of quiet contemplation or a purging of negativity into nothingness.Facilitating insightful one on ones with your soul.And the absence of a 'must do and 'must see' lists making for a 'must come to' state of mind.
Tagline: Pondicherry Nothing's better.

Pondicherry Strategic Brief

Target Profile:
•This will largely mirror the Indian international tourist profile as Pondicherry is a sub-brand. Tamil Nadu tourist profile is also relevant
–Within this we have to target the up-market consumers who are looking for a quiet holiday.
–Age wise its skewed to the mature group. Best to target the 35yrs to 50 years old group.
–Group travel is the norm now. People with common interests. Religion and Yoga could be propositions.

Consumer Insight:
•Most vacations which are meant for relaxation end up being more strenuous, taxing and hectic than normal everyday life with “things to do “ and “must see” lists. There are many who need a “genuine” vacation when they can catch their breath, pause and ponder on life and come to terms with it.

Proposition:
Pondicherry offers the tourist rest both mental and physical in its pristine sense. There is no “to do list” or “must see” destination. Life moves along as in a Zen prayer …you and the universe. It’s the place where you make peace with life and yourself.

Support to Proposition:
Pondicherry has few tourists and the places are relatively deserted. The landmark is an Ashram where people come to meditate. There is a Yoga festival which again is about inner peace and harmony and quiet contemplation. Beaches, are also quiet and without crowds and suited for quiet contemplation and to find the rhythm with nature. The proposed investments in Pondicherry also push for ecological balance and tourism that does not spoil the landscape and Nature’s balance.

•Creative Button:
“Nothingness”. As in the consummate form of meditation as when you let your mind really rest without thoughts. It’s an ideal way to relax both body and mind.

•Tone Tenor and Feel:
Calm,still, soothing, tranquil. Far from the “madding crowd” . "Lost in an island of togetherness" for the honeymoon/couple segment.

Creative Units:

•Campaigns aimed at the up-market tourist.
•The tourist who is looking for peace and tranquility. Could be a harried professional who needs to take a break from a hectic work schedule, or a person coming to terms with a bereavement, a couple trying to save a marriage by spending time together, discovering each other….the myriad reasons for getting away from the “madding crowd”. Bit of a self- actualizer
–“Far from the madding crowd” series
–“Together in the silence” series
Creatives Follow

Pondicherry Campaign Strategic Brief- "Nothing Doing"

The challenge was to develop a campaign from "nothing"! There was 'nothing' to do in Pondy according to people who went there!! But for us we had to have a campaign otherwise it was as our Head Office told us "Nothing Doing"!!

After some desk research and drawing heavily on previous work done for Kerala Tourism and Tunisia Tourism I came up with this brief:


Consumer Profile (Who are we talking to and why are we targetting them?)

•This will largely mirror the 'Indian international tourist profile' as Pondicherry is a sub-brand. The 'Tamil Nadu tourist profile' is also relevant .
–Within this we have to target the up-market consumers who are looking for a quiet holiday.
–Age wise its skewed to the mature group. Best to target the 35yrs to 50 years old group.
–Group travel is the norm now. People with common interests. Religion and Yoga could be propositions.


Key Consumer Insight :

•Most vacations which are meant for relaxation end up being more strenuous, taxing and hectic than normal everyday life with “things to do “ and “must see” lists. There are many who need a “genuine” vacation when they can catch their breath, pause and ponder on life and come to terms with it.


Proposition:

Pondicherry offers the tourist rest both mental and physical in its pristine sense. There is no “to do list” or “must see” destination. Life moves along as in a Zen prayer …you and the universe. It’s the place where you make peace with life and yourself.


Support to Proposition:

Pondicherry has few tourists and the places are relatively deserted. The landmark is an Ashram where people come to meditate. There is a Yoga festival which again is about inner peace and harmony and quiet contemplation. Beaches, are also quiet and without crowds and suited for quiet contemplation and to find the rhythm with nature. The proposed investments in Pondicherry also push for ecological balance and tourism that does not spoil the landscape and Nature’s balance.

Creative Button:

“Nothingness”. As in the consummate form of meditation as when you let your mind really rest without thoughts. It’s an ideal way to relax both body and mind.

•Tone Tenor and Feel:

Calm,still, soothing, tranquil. Far from the “madding crowd”


THE CAMPAIGN WE CAME UP WITH WAS A WINNER. IT GOT US A SHORTLIST AND APPLAUSE!

Pondicherry Tourism Campaign

The deadline was 2 days. EICL had to pitch for the Pondicherry Tourism account alongwith Rediff, the big brother. Kiran Waval, the Creative Director (ART)on hire from Mumbai was game for it, so were Prakash Pillai the Creative Director(Copy) , Raghu Madhavan , the Account Director, Shanmughapriya the Acc Executive and Murthy the freelance art director who was assisting Kiran and finishing the layouts with a pal of his.

There was no time for a research and strategy planning session. Dip stick with people who had been to Pondy indicated that it was a relatively popular weekend destination. Why? There was "nothing to do in pondy" "cheap booze" "nobody around". Depressing scenario? You bet it was!

The challenge then was to come up with a campaign from literally 'nothing'. We converted adversity to advantage and came up with a winner. The 'nothings better' campaign. A breakthrough brief and an inspired creative.A brief that was exciting enough for Sangita who was the CD in rediff to gatecrash and do a campaign option for us.

The creatives and the strategic thought are in the next post. Sadly the EICL Office of Chennai was closed down before the agency was finalised and we were all in other places subsequently.
This post gave us all a lot to be proud of and some fond memories of the time we spent in Chennai. I was the VP for South India. I left to join Ras al Khaimah soon after.