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The Air India Story Part 2

Part 2

Whenever you see an Air India advertisement, it is hard to miss the "Maharajah" or the emperor which stands as a hospitable mascot for the brand since 1946.
Strongly identifying its values with the rich cultural heritage of the country, Air India has positioned itself as a dynamic Indian brand that believes in "Atithi devo bhava" (a guest is like god). This is clearly impersonated in its mascot who humbly folds his hands in the form of "Namaste", a gesture of respect and welcome, widely used in the country.

With disinvestment and privatisation on the cards, Air India's most recent marketing strategy might see a shift towards making it a more appealing buy for the potential investors. In this light, it is quite interesting to see the marketing journey of the airline and gauge how far it has come.

While the entire brand talks of rich Indian culture and heritage, right from its inception, Air India is known to cause a stir through its unconventional advertisements. You can notice the subtle use of messages or imagery in these ads challenging common perceptions and attempting to break stereotypes which also form a strong part of Indian society.

Bobby Kooka, the commercial director of Air India at the time of inception of its mascot, worked with Umesh Rao, an artist with JWT Limited to bring to life his perception of the brand.

“We can call him the Maharajah for want of a better description. But his blood isn’t blue. He may look like royalty, but he isn’t royal. He is capable of entertaining the Queen of England and splitting a beer with her butler. He is a man of many parts: lover boy, sumo wrestler, pavement artist, vendor of naughty post cards, Capuchin monk, Arab merchant…”
- Bobby Kooka

Let's take a look at how Air India has changed over the decades. Here is a collection of their print adverts - from now to then...




References:
https://graphisads.com/portfolio/air-india-print-campaign/ ,  http://indianexpress.com/article/india/* ,  http://www.batj.org/* , http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2012/09/08/* , https://www.google.co.in/search?rlz=1C1GGRV_enIN751IN751&biw=1366&bih=662&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=air+india+ads&oq=air+india+ads&gs_l=img.3..0.58442.59472.0.59827.5.5.0.0.0.0.302.848.2-2j1.3.0....0...1.1.64.img..2.2.558...0i30k1.RmXmH5z5Yk8#imgrc=J0Y6mtkVWg-fxM: , https://www.coloribus.com/adsarchive/prints/air-india-mumbai-new-york-12636955/, http://interpub.co.in/content/* , https://in.pinterest.com/pin/*
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