Fundamental launches WhatsApp campaign for rural India highlighting Voice and Video Notes
Independent creative agency Fundamental Mumbai has launched an ambitious campaign for WhatsApp in rural India, aiming to empower and include new users by making communication accessible to everyone, regardless of literacy. By promoting Voice Notes and Video Notes as alternatives to traditional texting, the initiative breaks down barriers and creates new opportunities for connection and participation across communities.
Set in North-Central MP, the campaign launches with ‘Baatan Hi Baatan Mein.’ A story inspired by millions of migrant workers who spend almost all of their time away from their families. For whom staying in touch isn’t always easy because of distance, quality of connectivity issues and, odd working hours. The crux of the story is the role played by WhatsApp’s Voice and Video Notes in helping overcome those and making a union between two almost-strangers, Aasha and Manoj, blossom into something special.
Starting with the focus market of Madhya Pradesh, ‘Baatan Hi Baatan Mein’ will be playing in semi-rural and rural single-screen cinema theatres. Plus traveling cinemas will take it to over 240 villages and hamlets for community screenings. It will also be hosted as a short film on content platforms like Zee5 and JioHotstar.
This will be followed by multiple educational shorties and text–free ‘Ambient User Guides’ concentrated in rural India, which are designed to be understood without having to be read.
Neeraj Kanitkar, Co-Founder, Fundamental, said: “For the campaign idea, we arrived at the strategy of pebbling – voice/video notes as simple acts of love whose sum is greater than the parts themselves. Given the sharp focus on rural India, we knew we would need something audacious but also deeply human. Just an ad wouldn’t do. So, we led with a sweeping long format story with protagonists that the audience could see themselves in and identify with. Then, of course, Amit Sharma came on board, sprinkled his magic on the script, found the amazing quarry which allowed us to situate the film geographically, a dialect coach lent great flavour to the script and thus was born, ‘Baatan Hi Baatan Mein.’ We cannot wait for people to experience it as a short film in single-screen theatres and via travelling cinemas in remote locations.”
Amit Sharma, the National Award winning Indian director, added: “From the very first narration, I wanted to treat this script with a cinematic lens. It has complex emotions that deserve a wide canvas and cultural authenticity. Because it isn’t the story of just Aasha and Manoj, it is a story that plays out with millions of Indians. The two leads, Rrama Sharma and Rajkishore Sahoo truly became the Aasha and Manoj that the story needed. I am so happy the film is getting distributed in such a unique manner. It’s a story that I believe should be seen by as many people as possible.”
Credits
Agency: Fundamental
CEO: Nishant Saurabh
CCO: Pallavi Chakravarti
CSO: Anand Murty
ECD: Neeraj Kanitkar
Sr. Creative Director: Gauri Burma
ACD (Design): Jyoti Patil
Group Head (Design): Pradnya Shirke
Junior Copywriter: Shivika Maheshwari
Account Management Lead (Consulting): Neha Khaneja
Account Director: Lyncia Noronha
Associate Account Director: Bhavi Gala
Studio Lead: Selva Nadar
Production House: Chrome Pictures
Director: Amit Sharma
Executive Producer: Napolean Daniel Amanna
Associate Producer: Aakriti Bhatnagar
Client: Meta
Brand: WhatsApp
Consumer & Creator Marketing Director, APAC: Vyom Prashant
Consumer Marketing Lead APAC, WhatsApp: Jasveen Kaur
Media Strategy Manager: Natasha Kapoor
Program Manager: Radhika Sabherwal
Program Manager: Rashi Gupta