Tickle them to India

The Incredible India campaign throws in a dash of humour, and not without good reason.

The Incredible India campaign now wears a new look "" stunning photography coupled with headlines that reflect humour. Picture this: a print ad for Taj Mahal has a headline that says, "And to think these days men get away with giving flowers and chocolates to their wives."

The idea behind the new format, says Amitabh Kant, joint secretary, ministry of tourism (MoT), has been to "keep it simple, silly" (or "KISS", the classic ad formula). "We did not want to make to the campaign appear intellectual, so it cuts across segments."

As a brand, Incredible India seems to be doing well "" a reason why the ministry has decided to retain it. "Incredible India will continue to be the brand symbol," says V Sunil, creative director, A, the agency which has done the print campaign. What makes it different this time is that niche segments have been integrated well in the new campaign.

At the official launch, tourism minister Ambica Soni unveiled the films which showcased segments like rural, medical, ayurveda and wellness, Bollywood, religious, adventure, cruise, and MICE tourism "" these films have been made by Bharatbala, CNN, BBC and Discovery.

The Incredible India campaign is well into its fourth season now and the new avatar has cost the ministry another Rs 80 crore across print, electronic and online space.

The European and US markets are the main targets of this new campaign, besides the ever-growing South-east Asian market. A monsoon campaign is being planned for the West Asian and North African markets, and golf would be the theme for an off-season campaign.

These humour campaigns will be put up at Times Square in New York "" "to tickle people's imagination", in Sunil's words. In Paris, the outdoor theme would be wildlife and the Himalayas. In New York, it would be the colours of India. Adventure tourism will be showcased in UK, and in Singapore, it will again be the colours of India. South Africa, Russia, China, and Spain (where a summer campaign is being planned) are some of the other markets that are being looked at.

Kant says that the government will try and catch the attention of travellers by striking their attention at airports, transport junctures and taxis in major markets.

"The campaign has been on for a while now. The idea is that you work consistently on a market for 3-4 years, keep hammering your idea in, and you are sure to succeed," he says.

Soni stresses the need to develop new circuits and new products across the country. Some, like the Endogenous Tourism project that UNDP and MoT are working on, are already underway.

Even as this new campaign hits global markets, MoT is working on breaking another campaign in the next 3-4 months. "This is to be the next level for the Incredible India campaign. In effect, it will be a surreal campaign, concentrating on some very specific areas," confirms Sunil.

Internationally, people are beginning to recognise brand India, but what bothers most in the travel industry is the lack of infrastructure at tourist destinations, not to mention the possibilities of unforeseen events. A sense of humour, for many visitors, is a recommended part of the first aid kit.