Sharodiyar Sathi Rapido
▶ Introduction
A Festive Ad Film Delivered at Rapid Speed
When life gives you lemons, you should always squeeze them into your tea and brainstorm about an ad film with a tight deadline.
That is precisely what we did when we received a brief to make an ad film for a festive campaign for a leading ride-hailing company. So, without further ado, let’s jump into the thrilling story of creating an ad film in just 7 days.
**Background **
Preparing for festivities can be fascinating at times. Festivals are an opportunity to connect with different cultures and understand the essence of life flourishing around them. So, when we received the brief from Rapido, we jumped into it with the skills of an ace freediver.
**The Brief **
The brief was simple and straightforward!
Add a new twist to the excitement of Durga Puja in West Bengal by placing the product as the perfect companion for Durga Puja fun. Capture the essence of the festivals in the film without being stereotypical. Make a film that does not just talk about Durga Puja but embodies the excitement of the festival.
**The Goal **
The main goal of this film was to build awareness around an offline activation by the brand. Durga Puja is the biggest festival for the Bengali community in and outside of West Bengal. People go pandal-hopping to experience the excitement and the spirit of Durga Puja. But they must wait in long lines before they enter the pandals due to long queues.
Rapido thought of cutting down the line by creating a fast-forward counter for Rapido customers. Our film was supposed to create awareness in a quirky and fun way that resonates with the community without being too stereotypical or exaggerating.
** “Sharodiyar Sathi Rapido” **
Durga Puja for a Bengali means a lot of things; it is the food, the excitement, shopping, friendships, and so on. But when it comes to picking up one thing that makes Durga Puja extra special for Bengalis; it is the right partner to share the fun with. So, that’s what we did. We showed the perfect Puja partnership between Bengalis and Rapido with our “Sharodiyar Sathi Rapido” film.
▶ The Story
The first step of making an ad film that is effective and memorable is to tell a story that resonates with the target audience. For Bengalis, Durga Puja is an opportunity to reconnect with friends, meet new friends, and spark up new connections.
We started off our story with two friends reconnecting over their puja plans and the quintessential puja partner. Durga Puja is incomplete without the puja partner who makes sure that from the puja food to the puja mood, everything gets sorted.
In comes Rapido, the ideal “Durga Pujo partner” for every Bengali in Kolkata, with their promise of the 5-minute cab booking and the offline activation of making a VIP entry gate for the most popular pandals in Kolkata, called the “Rapid Entry Gates,” making Durga Puja extra exciting for everyone. The true “Sharodiyar Sathi,” indeed, which means the partner to all the puja fun in Bengali, if you haven’t guessed already.
▶ The Process
Once the story was locked, it was time to decide on two very significant things to portray the story on screen: the cast and the setting. We wanted the electrifying Durga Puja spirit in every scene, so it was a no-brainer that we decided to shoot in the real location, Kolkata.
We wanted the actors to be their authentic selves to bring out the essence of the community and avoid the risk of appearing to be mere caricatures rather than real people. Now that we had clarity over what needed to be done and how, it was time for execution.
**Ah! Kolkata **
Kolkata has its own intrigue and charm. The city has the color palettte of a Wes Anderson movie and the temperament of a European just about to take their siesta in the middle of a working day. So, when the opportunity presented itself, we did not hesitate to spend a night at the airport to take the first flight to Kolkata in the morning with our whole unit.
**The Magic of Kolkata **
We chose the beloved North Calcutta as our shooting location to bring out the precise Kolkata flavor we were looking for in our film. The city’s architecture, colors, and overall laid-back yet buzzing with excitement (Pujo time, remember?) attitude made our short trip memorable. And as far as the film was concerned, the Kolkata magic elevated it to the next level.
▶ The Final Story
All’s well that ends well. The sleepless nights, the early morning flights, sleeping at the airports, rejected cabs (Bengaluru life), and a film that we can be proud of. Once you get the work done, it feels like a drive, an ecstasy that nothing else can replace. So, here’s our labor of love in its full glory for everyone to see.
**The Final Cut **
And It’s a Wrap
This was an ad film delivered at a speed that nobody could even think of. But that is what advertising is; it is fast, eccentric, electrifying, and surely not for the faint-hearted. The late nights, the reworks, and the long meetings all come to fruition when we look at our creations on TV & mobile screens and pat ourselves on the back for a job well done.