ITC's Mangaldeep’s new ad film brings its visually impaired fragrance testers into focus
Created by Ogilvy Mumbai, the film uses a friendship story to spotlight Mangaldeep’s visually impaired fragrance testers and their heightened sense of smell
New Delhi: ITC’s Mangaldeep has unveiled a new film under its Sixth Sense initiative, spotlighting the remarkable olfactory abilities of visually impaired individuals and the role they play in the brand’s fragrance evaluation process.
Set against the backdrop of a neighbourhood cricket match, the film uses a quiet exchange between two friends to bring alive its larger message around perception and the extraordinary sensory abilities of the visually impaired. As children play in the field, Amit, a visually impaired child, sits by the boundary listening to the sounds around him when his friend Rohan comes over with a samosa. When Amit asks if he has something to eat, Rohan, in a fleeting moment of childhood selfishness, says no and quickly finishes it himself.
The emotional pivot comes moments later, when Amit offers Rohan his handkerchief and casually remarks on how oily Lallan’s samosas usually are. The line makes Rohan pause, as he realises Amit had sensed what he was eating all along through smell. What follows is a quiet moment of guilt, apology, and shared laughter, allowing the film to gently reveal its central thought around how visually impaired individuals often experience the world through heightened senses.
The film then reveals its central message with the line, “They see with their noses.”
It goes on to connect the story with Mangaldeep’s Sixth Sense programme, through which visually impaired individuals are part of the brand’s fragrance testing panel, leveraging their heightened sense of smell to help refine product quality and create distinctive fragrances.
With this film, Mangaldeep continues to build on its long-running initiative that not only creates meaningful livelihood opportunities for visually impaired individuals but also celebrates their extraordinary sensory abilities.
The campaign closes with the line: “Smell what is possible.”
The film has also struck an emotional chord with viewers online, with many praising its storytelling and sensitivity. Comments on the film include, “Thank you H&K for this magical script,” and “Fabulous context setting and storytelling!! Love the ad.” Another viewer wrote, “Omg! It brought a lump in my throat. Beautiful,” while another called it an “emotionally intelligent ad.”
Credits:
Creative Agency: Ogilvy Mumbai
CCOs: Kainaz Karmakar, Harshad Rajadhyaksha, Sukesh Nayak
Copywriters: Kainaz Karmakar, Harshad Rajadhyaksha
Deputy CSO, India: Ganapathy Balagopalan
Creative Team: Rajesh Mani, Ramakrishnan Hariharan, Zarwan Divecha
Account Management Team: Roshni Mohan Parameswaran, Neha L., Sanjana Potdar
Brand Planning Team: Nirav Parekh
Team Mangaldeep (ITC): Rohit Dogra, Atul Pujar, Ayaz Ahmad, Ashima Noushad, Ramesh Sriram
Production House: Better Late Than Never
Director: Talha Bin Mohsin
Executive Producer: Talha Bin Mohsin, Shayak Dady Roy
Producer: Nishant Roy
Business Development Head: Shivali Nair
DOP: Sudip Sengupta
Music: Subhajit Mukherjee
Source: https://bestmediainfo.com/mediainfo/advertising/mangaldeeps-new-ad-film-brings-its-visually-impaired-fragrance-testers-into-focus-11756438