DNA Festival Posters
The campaign focusses on the India Positive spirit of our festivals. Even in the most deeply rooted Indian festivals and traditions, it is rather shocking to see the inclusion of Chinese goods. Be it manufacturing colours for holi, dumping excess Chinese lamps for Diwali or smuggling across banned Chinese manjha for Sankranti, these ads bring to light the Chinese invasion of our festivals. In this campaign, we have equated the Chinese to famous villains from Hindi films, who try to capitalize on our festivities for their gains. Despite our attempt to promote domestic production vis-à-vis Chinese goods, we have at every point made it a point not to mention ‘China’ or ‘Chinese’. We have used a tongue-in-cheek approach of satire.
The campaign focusses on the India Positive spirit of our festivals. Even in the most deeply rooted Indian festivals and traditions, it is rather shocking to see the inclusion of Chinese goods. Be it manufacturing colours for holi, dumping excess Chinese lamps for Diwali or smuggling across banned Chinese manjha for Sankranti, these ads bring to light the Chinese invasion of our festivals. In this campaign, we have equated the Chinese to famous villains from Hindi films, who try to capitalize on our festivities for their gains. Despite our attempt to promote domestic production vis-à-vis Chinese goods, we have at every point made it a point not to mention ‘China’ or ‘Chinese’. We have used a tongue-in-cheek approach of satire.
1. HOLI
His clinking buckle rattled as gabbar chang took ominous strides across boulders, a locally made gucci belt dangling from his right hand.
“When gabbar chang is angry, even the donkeys piss in fear” - the old timers at xiang used to say. His factory workers trembled in fear when suddenly, gabbar chang’s deafening voice burst on them with the fury of a pent up volcano - ”holi zai ji tian?” (when is holi?).
Gabbar chang’s interest in holi was understandable. It was the time to earn big bucks by shipping tons of spurious colours, water balloons in fluorescent colours, water pistols and ‘pichkaris’, chang could now fulfil his lifelong dream to buy an english football team with a fancy manager.
This year too, like every other,, his ‘holi stock’ will soon be on its way and our homegrown cottage industries will be hit by chang’s mass production. It’s time we support domestic-made products. This year let’s pledge to buy indian products and mark the commencement of a swadeshi holi. So that we can scream across the border, ‘ab tera kya hoga chang? ‘
His clinking buckle rattled as gabbar chang took ominous strides across boulders, a locally made gucci belt dangling from his right hand.
“When gabbar chang is angry, even the donkeys piss in fear” - the old timers at xiang used to say. His factory workers trembled in fear when suddenly, gabbar chang’s deafening voice burst on them with the fury of a pent up volcano - ”holi zai ji tian?” (when is holi?).
Gabbar chang’s interest in holi was understandable. It was the time to earn big bucks by shipping tons of spurious colours, water balloons in fluorescent colours, water pistols and ‘pichkaris’, chang could now fulfil his lifelong dream to buy an english football team with a fancy manager.
This year too, like every other,, his ‘holi stock’ will soon be on its way and our homegrown cottage industries will be hit by chang’s mass production. It’s time we support domestic-made products. This year let’s pledge to buy indian products and mark the commencement of a swadeshi holi. So that we can scream across the border, ‘ab tera kya hoga chang? ‘
3. SANKRANTI
Xa-kal sat on his rotating chair, feeding his sharks human fingers when he was interrupted. The bald headed gangster had a fascinating taste, when it came to pets and gadgets. His underwater den displayed an eclectic collection of buttons, levers and gadgets which could confuse anyone, him included, at times. “Xa-kal sir”, his men called out to him, sitting around a round table laid in front of his underwater ‘cockpit’. He turned around, smiled slyly and said “huan ying” (welcome) to the men who brought bad news that their goods had been ceased at the international border.
The men could sense trouble but were uncertain about their fate. Suddenly, xa kal fiddled with his gadgets and before they knew it, one man along with his chair had fallen into a pit filled with crocodiles. Traitor! Xa-kal exclaimed, calling the man a spy.
Before the rest could gather themselves, he fidgeted with a couple of buttons again and out of nowhere, a screen appeared with a map. It displayed a route in fluorescent red. “Huan ying sankranti” (welcome sankranti) he announced as he showed a new route to carry kites and strings (maanjha) into india for sankranti. This year too like every other, xa-kal’s smuggled kites and banned “manjha” would find their way to india. Again our cottage industry will get hit and xa-kal would sit back with a cunning smirk. Let’s ensure we only buy desi kites and manjha this sankranti. So that this time, it’s us who have the last laugh.
Xa-kal sat on his rotating chair, feeding his sharks human fingers when he was interrupted. The bald headed gangster had a fascinating taste, when it came to pets and gadgets. His underwater den displayed an eclectic collection of buttons, levers and gadgets which could confuse anyone, him included, at times. “Xa-kal sir”, his men called out to him, sitting around a round table laid in front of his underwater ‘cockpit’. He turned around, smiled slyly and said “huan ying” (welcome) to the men who brought bad news that their goods had been ceased at the international border.
The men could sense trouble but were uncertain about their fate. Suddenly, xa kal fiddled with his gadgets and before they knew it, one man along with his chair had fallen into a pit filled with crocodiles. Traitor! Xa-kal exclaimed, calling the man a spy.
Before the rest could gather themselves, he fidgeted with a couple of buttons again and out of nowhere, a screen appeared with a map. It displayed a route in fluorescent red. “Huan ying sankranti” (welcome sankranti) he announced as he showed a new route to carry kites and strings (maanjha) into india for sankranti. This year too like every other, xa-kal’s smuggled kites and banned “manjha” would find their way to india. Again our cottage industry will get hit and xa-kal would sit back with a cunning smirk. Let’s ensure we only buy desi kites and manjha this sankranti. So that this time, it’s us who have the last laugh.
These posters wer put up in colleges and schools to spread awareness about indian goods.
My initial sketches for these characters.
