Back in the late 1960s, a new language emerged as a key factor in the success of marketing in India. Popularly called ‘Hinglish’ (Hindi + English), it is now a widely accepted vernacular of the masses.
Hinglish can be described as predominantly English with a Hindi spin, but it also blends English words with Punjabi, Gujarati, Marathi. At the point of origin, it was jargon used more commonly by young people, as evidenced by advertisements targeting that generation – Pepsi’s ‘Yeh Hi Hai Right Choice, Baby!’ and Coca Cola’s ‘Life Ho Toh Aisi’, for example.
Over the years, everyday office correspondence including e-mails have become liberally peppered with Hinglish words and phrases. Google’s mobile keyboard app even gives the option of Hinglish as a typing language, where one can type a Hindi sentence in the Roman script and suggestions will be Hindi words but in the Roman script.
Inspiration for the visuals is taken from a matchbox collection from 1980s India.
