Friday, June 30, 2023

Is Air India retiring its Maharaja? The aging mascot hits a crossroads

Maharaja, the much-celebrated mascot of Air India, is now in his late-seventies and faces retirement — or a possible rebirth.

Designed in 1946, when Bobby Kooka, Air India's Commercial Director, and Umesh Rao, an artist with advertising agency J.Walter Thompson, together created the brand icon. Those were the times when flying was an ultra-luxury experience and mostly very rich people and celebrities travelled by air. Air India wasn't what it became after the government takeover and decades of mishandling and corruption. In those days, AIr India was one of the finest in the world, and it got the icon it deserved, the Maharaja, because India in those days was seen as a country of maharajas. But over time, the mascot proved to be very versatile — humble, funny and even naughty.

But will the Maharaja be able to reinvent itself even as its airline, Air India, is now getting a makeover after it returned to its original owner, the Tata Group, two years ago? The Tatas have entrusted Prasoon Joshi-headed McCann Worldgroup India with reviving Air India's once iconic advertising and branding, TOI has reported. Itt will develop a new brand platform and a range of multi-channel marketing communication. Will the Maharaja continue to feature in campaigns like in the past?

"We are on the planning stage, the drawing board. All I can say is that exciting times are ahead for AI" and its guests," Joshi said.

However, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson had said in February that the Maharaja will remain part of the brand after the mega makeover the airline is undergoing.

Last year in December, the Tata Group roped in London-based brand and design consultancy firm Futurebrands to redraw Air India’s branding strategy. Among multiple strategies being considered was creating a new mascot for the airline as there was a thought that the Maharajah had become outdated. Air India is currently not using the Maharajah logo in its campaigns of new destination launches.

30/06/2023 Economic Times

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