When I read the obituary of the Air-India Maharajah this morning, I couldn’t but shed a tear. After all, he was mortal like the rest of us. Ailing for the last 20 years, and in and out of hospital, many of his detractors were not able to overcome his strong will. And in spite of the many attempts on his life, he just kept coming back like the strong royal Maharajah he was. In fact he just laughed it off in his inimitable style.
While plenty has been written about him and his escapades through the decades through various lands, the end was solemn and brief. Just an unemotional announcement that his life had finally ended. There were no flowers. No prayers. No tears. No celebration of a life well-lived.
Which makes me wonder whether all mascots have a life of their own and like us mere mortals have to finally bid a goodbye.
Remember Gattu of Asian Paints? And the Murphy baby? Gattu, the mischievous Asian Paints mascot, was created by none other than the famous RK Laxman and enthralled us for a good 50 years. Murphy, another Indian favourite, was a brand born in Britain and founded in 1929 by Frank Murphy and EJ Power. The Murphy brand now belongs to the Shirodkar Group of companies but they don’t sell radios any more.
It is interesting to examine why the Maharajah was so successful. For one his commentary was on our day to day lives and the life of the nation. He became the social mirror of Indian society. He reflected our happy and unhappy moments with a touch of philosophy and wit.
Ivan Arthur, earlier National Creative Director of JWT, and now educator and author, when asked about the Air India advertising, said: “Conceived as a letterhead design, the Maharajah broke the fetters of the line drawing and became flesh with a personality and DNA of his own: the double helix of gracious exotica. That DNA did not permit him to stand in the street corners of conventional media and tout his destinations like a cheap ticket salesman. His famous romps on those hoardings were not advertising. They were non-advertising: parlour talk, one-liner points of view, camaraderie, provocation and good humour, all of which did not ask you to buy an Air India ticket. In fact, in many of the hoardings, he refused to have the Air India logo as sign-off. He was the sign-off. He was no commercial mascot. He became a national figure. Much loved and respected.
The Maharajah was always accompanied by another symbol that belonged to Air-India and that was the Centaur. Equally old, it has played an equally significant role in the branding of Air-India.
The Centaur had its own life as an alternative Air -India mascot. It flew around the world as the airline’s insignia, appeared on the inflight livery and even cutlery, was embroidered on some of its crew’s uniform, stood proudly on the top of the company’s impressive headquarters and became a brand name for its hospitality subsidiary!
Hopefully the Centaur carries on, unless the new adopted parents of Air-India have another strategy in mind.
In the meantime, let us mourn the loss of our favourite Maharajah once more. As the Byzantine Empress Theodora said “ For a King death is better than dethronement and exile”
Sanjeev Kotnala People at all ends, the readers, the advertisers and the stakeholder like employees and business associates, have time and again raised questions about the need, efficacy and effectiveness of print. The “traditional media”, as it’s called. So, whenever print does an engaging campaign, it starts answering a few of these questions and works on many levels.
By Ranjona Banerji