In the new campaign film by Wunderman Thompson India for The Times of India, a thread of light binds all Indians together despite their differences. The campaign and its hashtag, #WhatMakesUsOne, invite every Indian to participate in the Idea of India in their own way.
The Idea of India is illuminated by this thread of light, connecting the dots between differences and uniting the collective soul of the country, blurring the boundaries between multiple religions, regions, cultures, languages, festivals and dissolving all differences at the speed of light.
The visual thread for the film draws on the festival of lights, and is captured by hundreds of cinematographers and drone photographers and time-lapse content creators throughout the festive season from Navaratri Lights in October to Diwali Lights in November, Christmas Lights in December to Sankranti Lights in January at multiple locations across the country.
The film’s musical thread binds into one national narrative the speeches of India’s inspiring leaders, presented as titles. The voices include those of Mahatma Gandhi, Subash Chandra Bose, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Indira Gandhi, AB Vajpayee and Narendra Modi.
Kaustuv Chatterjee, brand director TOI and Languages, stated, “Over the past decades India has made rapid strides in various sectors, and this has fuelled a sense of pride in the nation’s growing stature in the world. In this context, our new initiative from TOI – #WhatMakesUsOne, focuses on the many unifying threads that make up our Idea Of India. Despite our diversity and multiculturism, the threads that unite us also drive our growth in the world today powerfully. Just look at what’s happening in space-tech, defence, IT, sports or our cultural influence across the world. We hope this initiative will spark conversations and connections around What Makes Us One, as we prepare to celebrate our 74th year of becoming a Republic.”
Senthil Kumar, chief creative and film director, Wunderman Thompson India, added, “india was an idea long before it became a free nation. It was the song from a thousand years ago. It was the spirit of thousands of freedom fighters. It was written in blood by the thousands who laid down their lives for our freedom. It was the same thread of unity in diversity and adversity and festivity. It is the same thread that continues to bind us as one nation, in spite of our diverse differences. It is the invisible ektara that stirs our souls and ignites our hearts. This binding thread of tolerance and inclusivity is represented as the thread of light cinematically and metaphorically in the powerful Times of India narrative form.”
Joy Chauhan, Senior vice president and managing partner, Wunderman Thompson, Delhi, commented, “The idea of India is a campaign that makes you pause and yet again fall in love with our magical nation. What makes us one is a question with over a billion answers. Its depth is unseen and uncharted. Today with our potential and the will to lead this world the Idea of India has never looked brighter. It was an opportune time to celebrate our diversity and #WhatMakesUsOne We are proud to partner the iconic Times of India in this celebration.”
Credits:
Client: The Times Of India
Creative Agency: Wunderman Thompson India
Chief Creative Officer: Senthil Kumar
Chief Executive Officer: Shams Jasani
Chief Strategy Officer: Pinaki Bhattacharya
Managing Partner: Joy Chauhan
Executive Creative Director: Siddharth Prasad
Business Director: Bhavana Dogra
Production Company: Thinkpot Films
Director: Senthil Kumar
Executive Producers: Manoj Pillai & Sunil Nair
Managing Director: Geetha Chalattil
Producer: Krithika Manohar
Directors of Photography: Harshvir Singh Oberai & Arpit Bharde
