Riding The Kumbh Fervour
Over 130 million pilgrims visited the Kumbh Mela this year making it the largest human gathering on earth. This year, the Kumbh Mela was also one of the most technologically advanced ever. Along with the pilgrims descending onto Sangam for a holy dip, the Mela was also an event that attracted many brands who wanted to encash on the massive opportunity to connect with the pilgrims. One of these brands this year was the two-wheeler company, Bajaj, which launched a campaign to not just connect with people but also create a difference.
The Kumbh sees a lot of elderly and physically challenged pilgrims who find it difficult to walk the last few kilometers to the ghats for their holy dip. They found a solution to this problem in Bajaj’s two-wheeler Platina Comfortec 110.
Bajaj introduced a free ferry service for the elderly pilgrims in the Kumbh city called the Aaram Rath sewa. Designed with specially fitted backrest, Platina Comfortec 110 was converted into Platina Aaram Rath, custom made to offer a comfortable ride for the needy. A special team of riders called the Aaram Saarthis, ensured the comfort and safety of the pilgrims as they ferried them to the ghats and back along the designated routes with-in the Kumbh city. With the support of Kumbh Pradhikaran and Kumbh police, this activity received an overwhelming response. The campaign was conceptualised by Ogilvy Mumbai.
Explaining the idea behind the campaign, Narayan Sundararaman, Vice President, Bajaj Auto said, “With the new Bajaj Platina Comfortec 110, our focus has been to deliver the most comfortable ride experience in the category. No doubt that the motorcycle has much better power, acceleration, pick-up, and braking. But a Platina stands for comfort. When we encountered this opportunity, we were clear that this activity will bring relief to people in need of help to reach the ghats, and that Platina is the right vehicle of choice for it. From there on, we worked on retro-fitting a secure two-sided backrest specially made for the audience. We are thrilled that this activity has been so well received. I can only imagine the countless blessings we have gathered along the way.”
Over the 28 days of service, the Platina Aaram Rath ferried over 23,000 elderly pilgrims for a holy dip at Kumbh Sangam.
Commenting on the impact created by the campaign, Sukesh Nayak, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy West said, “People come from across the country to take the holy dip at Kumbh. By running this free Aaram Rath service on the most comfortable motorcycle, we are happy to have helped so many elderly people get to the ghat in the most comfortable manner.”
