The channels were given creative freedom to produce the spots, either using their own footage and merging content with Swift's or using the brand's footage and cutting to an editorial segment. As a result, each of the 16 spots are different.
Shaswati Saradar, media manager, Maruti Udyog, said the strategy looked beyond audience numbers and allowed Swift "to reach viewers not only demographically but, more importantly, psychographically". The agency opted for a preview rather than teaser campaign after noting details of the car were well known in the market as a result of extensive local press coverage following the marque's European rollout last year.
Kartik Iyer, president, Initiative, said the strategy had been crafted chiefly to counter ad avoidance in India, which has climbed to 69 per cent, according to a study the agency conducted last year. At the same time, Iyer said the strategy allowed Swift to communicate more effectively with viewers. "We have found that a viewer's frame of mind differs based on the genre he or she is watching and, as a result, we wanted to create communications that appealed to each different state of mind," he noted.
In the preview spots, Swift is presented amid nature documentaries, news, sport, movies and lifestyle. The agency worked with cable and satellite broadcasters such as National Geographic and Discovery, as well as local channels in southern India.
Avik Chattopadhyay, depu-ty general manager for Maruti Udyog, said presenting Swift with the channel's own footage helped preserve the core personality of the channels.
The preview spots ran for nine days until Swift's launch late last month, when the campaign moved to the press phase.
The television portion of the campaign was due to break at press-time and will run for an extended period and will be supported by radio, outdoor and the internet.
