'Datsun's Vote for Change campaign To Resonate With Indians'

To stand out in the auto industry, it is important for brands to connect with consumers in innovative ways. Nissan’s latest ‘Vote For Change’ campaign — based on the theme of elections — for brand Datsun’s redi-Go is a notable attempt. The campaign, which will run in a phased manner, just like an election campaign, calls on car buyers to declare independence from limited choices available in the small car segment,  which is dominated by a handful of major players.

The campaign positions Datsun as the most compelling small car in India, or in election parlance, ‘the most eligible small car candidate in India’. The ad, which is a spoof on Indian elections, features popular actor Vinay Pathak, who urges car buyers to exercise their freedom of choice.

Explaining the concept behind the new brand campaign, Jerome Saigot, vice-president of Datsun India, says, “Datsun is a challenger brand and we have been competing with established players in the industry for three years now. Our new #VoteForChange campaign was sparked by the notion of elections and choices. We believe that the secret to making a change is to focus positive energy, not on confronting the old but building the new. Datsun aims to strike the right chord with young risers in India through this campaign.”

Speaking about Datsun’s new campaign, partner agency TBWA India’s CEO Govind Pandey says, “We believe the addictive energy of the ‘Vote for Change’ campaign will resonate with Indians, who aspire for change at a fast pace.”

Adding that the moment of change has arrived in the Indian small car segment, Pandey says, “Brands in India are politically correct, and typically shy away from the theme of elections. Using TBWA’s Disruption Live methodology, we decided to harness the evocative power of elections, which cuts through all barriers — geographical, cultural, linguistic, ethnic and religious — and invites people to participate in the process of change. The brand believes the moment of change has arrived in the Indian small car segment, and it’s time for car buyers to exercise their choice.”

The campaign is designed to help Datsun, which is trying hard to crack the Indian market. It has launched a number of new products to back its India dream.  With its range of affordable cars, Datsun is gradually making in-roads into mass segment markets, and driving this growth is its brand redi-Go.