Shell India in collaboration with Wunderman Thompson India has unveiled its latest campaign, ‘Great things happen when we move’. In their continued quest to be a trusted partner and help build the country, the campaign aims to celebrate the indomitable spirit of Indians, their dreams, and aspirations along with their inspiring journeys. Shell has launched three new brand films that showcase inspirational stories of mobility thereby bringing alive the brand’s partnership and commitment to this nation as catalyst of change.
For many Indians, their vehicles play a significant role in bringing socioeconomic impact for themselves and their families. ‘Great Things Happen When We Move’ is a campaign about the people who displayed unconquerable courage and motivation to realize their ambitions by doing one simple thing - moving forward. The campaign conceptualized by Wunderman Thompson India has been specifically launched ahead of International Women’s Day to encourage Indian women who face towering challenges in their quest for mobility.
Shell India’s research found a particular set of consumers moving confidently towards their dreams and truly capturing the essence of our campaign idea, women. The latest campaign encourages Indian women to keep moving by highlighting the stirring stories of three inspiring women: Yogita Raghuvanshi, India’s first woman truck driver, Geeta Tandon Bollywood’s leading stuntwoman and Sumitra Senapaty, founder of Women on Wanderlust. The core assertion of these films is to establish that mobility is a key enabler of people’s progress and it holds specifically true for women.
Commenting on the launch of the campaign, Nitin Prasad, chairman, Shell Companies in India, said: “India is one the fastest growing economies in the world and we acknowledge the role that mobility plays in a nation’s progress. At Shell India, we are constantly working towards understanding the needs of our customers and pioneering products and services that enable this mobility, especially for women as their journey is not easy. Ensuring that women have an equal participation in all areas of work, at all levels and in all locations is our constant endeavour. We have fuel stations entirely run by women, an all women crew that installs canopies at our sites under construction, about one third of the working professionals/ employees in Shell business operations are women and we continue to encourage an interest in STEM education for our young bright minds across schools and colleges. We are proud of the journey we have made so far but there is a lot more that needs to be done and we are committed to keep moving forward on this path and make a brighter future.”
The films are based on the stories of three amazing women, and mobility is at the heart of each. The first film highlights the story of Yogita Raghuvanshi, India’s first female truck driver who could not pursue her career in law as she took the responsibility of being a single mother after her husband passed away. The second film celebrates Geeta Tandon who walked out of an unhappy marriage and tried her hand at several things to support herself and her children. She found her calling when she became Bollywood’s leading stuntwoman. The third film showcases how travel expert Sumitra Senapaty, founder of Women On Wanderlust, encourages women to travel to over 50 destinations around the world.
Joy Chauhan, Sr. VP and managing partner, Wunderman Thompson, Delhi, said: “It is the human endeavour to move forward towards victory despite obstacles. It becomes a moment of intense pride to partner brands like Shell that enable this move towards better. Not only is this campaign inspiring us towards greatness; it is subliminally urging society to shift the lens with which women are seen; not as victims but as people with tangible power. Women are fighting their circumstance to emerge victorious every day; they are doing it with grace, perseverance and chutzpah. Yogita, Geeta and Sumitra are representations of women you and I know in our lives. Because once women are acknowledged as the heroes they are, humanity would have a real chance against robust challenges like inherent misogyny and imbalance. And all other challenges become smaller than us. That’s probably why ‘Great things happen when we move’ is a pivotal campaign that we are privileged and honoured to be a part of.”
Siddharth Prasad, vice president & ECD, Wunderman Thompson, said: “We didn’t want to just ‘narrate’ a story to viewers. We wanted them to be a part of the journey and rejoice in the protagonist’s success. Hence, the scripts were written from the point of view of an observer, someone who became a casual participant in a day in the life of our heroines. The narrative is very organic, the characters are real and believable. Inspiring stories; but designed to engage rather than impress. Shell was absolutely clear that they wanted the films to be authentic and I’m very happy with the way Arunima has brought the vision to life.”