Now, PR experts to firm up Delhi’s image

A Mumbai-based social communications group has bagged the campaign to inculcate “civic sense” and respect for heritage in Delhiites, in the run-up to the Commonwealth Games.

A brainchild of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, the campaign aims to present the hospitable side of the Capital and make the environment positive for participants, tourists and residents alike during the Games.

Following an intensive pitch process involving 15 top advertising agencies, Citizen Dentsu, a division for social communications of Mumbai-based marketing communications group Dentsu India, bagged the account.

While people close to the development pegged the account at close to Rs 100 crore, P K Tripathi, Principal Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office, said there is “no fixed budget” for the campaign. “We will intensify the campaign over the next few months and will release money depending on the various media used for it,” he said.

The campaign is expected to run till the first half of 2010.

Tripathi said the campaign has so far been launched on a test-basis through advertisements on DTC bus stops in areas such as Chanakyapuri. “We have just begun introducing the ‘Ladli’ mascot and the campaign will gradually get intensive and advertisements will appear in newspapers, TV and billboards.”

Gullu Sen, executive vice-chairman and chief creative officer of Citizen Dentsu, said, “The brief given to us was simple: it had to do with Delhi’s infrastructure and heritage, involving basic mannerism of people etc. But the biggest challenge was to tackle and address these issues without being offensive. So we created just one campaign and people in the ministry liked our idea.”

Calling Delhi a “true cosmopolitan city” that has people from all over the country, Sen said it was important to create a symbol to unify the people. And thus came the ‘Dilli Ki Ladli’ concept, he said. Sen said through the campaign, the brand mascot will spread civic awareness among Delhiites and encourage them to preserve the city’s heritage. Tripathi said, “We expect only the police to enforce rules and regulations, but it is also a citizen’s duty to observe rules and basic ethics of respecting public property.”

The agency released the out-of-home campaign on December 12. Sen said rest of the campaign will be rolled out soon.