Food major Amul, which prides itself as The Taste of India, has also got a very distinct taste when it comes to advertising. When many heritage brands in India have dumped their mascots – think Gattu of Asian Paints or the Maharajah of Air-India – the Amul girl and the accompanying witty captions that capture the mood of the nation, have only grown from strength to strength.

Hence when we spotted a unique ad placement from Amul, on the WAP5 locomotive of the Vadodara Electric Loco Shed, it was a motive worth exploring for several reasons.

First, advertising on trains (both local and outstation) has never been new to brands. You see ads pasted above seats or on the outside panels. One has also seen entire rakes of passenger trains being painted in brand colours. For example, Kerala Tourism’s ad on the exterior of the Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani’s rake is one example that comes to mind. But Amul’s ad was probably the first instance of an ad being painted on the engine and not on any other part of the train.

Second, why did Amul chose only one engine type – the WAP5 locomotive – when there are about 10 types of electric locomotives that are currently used for passenger trains on Indian railway tracks? RS Sodhi, managing director at Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), that markets the Amul brand, says that they are always on the look out for media that is unique as well as value for money for their product advertisements.

To advertise the Amul milk, the brand decided that the engine of passengers would be the right fit. “The engine is the source of energy for the train. So is milk for the human body,” says Sodhi.

He adds that the brand accepted the electric engine which the railways deemed right to put its advertising message. In hindsight, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

The WAP 5 has a large surface area and hence the canvas on which Amul could paint its message was much bigger than other engines. “This gave us better visibility,” says Sodhi. The other, and more significant, advantage of advertising on a locomotive as opposed to passenger rakes was this.

Those advertising on passenger rakes will be able to cover only a single route between two stations. In comparison, a locomotive is attached to different trains, and covers a wider geography. Talk about milking a branding opportunity.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW