The death of a teenager in Mumbai has been used in a campaign by Digital L&K Saatchi & Saatchi to help shame authorities into restoring the condition of the city’s infrastructure.
Prakash Bilhore died last year when the bike on which he was travelling hit a submerged pothole along one of Mumbai’s major roads.
At least two other people have died in similar circumstances, yet the dreadful road conditions remain.
Digital L&K Saatchi & Saatchi approach the parents of Prakash after non-government organisation Free a Billion wanted to raise awareness of the issue in the lead-up to independence day.
The campaign, ‘The boy who will not stand for the national anthem’, features his parents holding a photograph of their late son in a move to put pressure on city, state and central government to take action and to shake off the “indifference” of the public.
Aarti Samant, associate director of planning and strategy at Digital L&K Saatchi & Saatchi: “Free A Billion approached us with a clearly defined problem, that of basic civil rights. We all face these issues in our day to day lives but more often then not fail to pay heed.
“We wanted this to become a peoples movement and therefore it was imperative to tell a true story. The campaign is not just meant for shares and hits but to give every mumbaikar a reality check. A reality check that would appeal to his conscience and drive him to take action.”
Associate creative director Anoorupa Bose added: “This Independence Day, when people stand up for the national anthem, we wanted them to remember victims like Prakash who would not be standing with us. To realise that it’s not just government inefficiency, but our indifference that contributes to our broken system.”
