Sonata Durga Pujo campaign: Does #PujoWithSonata's regional approach work?

The Sonata Durga Pujo campaign aimed at cutting through the clutter by rolling out regional an ad film supported by a peppy soundtrack. Experts decipher if the campaign managed to achieve what the brand aimed at.

Sonata Durga Pujo campaign joined the Pujo celebrations by launching a musical titled, #PujoWithSonata. From indulging in mouth-watering delicacies to pandal hopping to adorning new attires, the youth have been making the most of the festival. With its new campaign Sonata has targeted young, Bengali Durga Puja revelers in West Bengal and the rest of India.

About Sonata Durga Pujo campaign

Sonata Durga Pujo campaign was released in the form of a regional film, to cut through the clutter with campaigns from multiple lifestyle brands during the festive season. With a catchy music track and a peppy visual approach, Sonata aimed at improving the recall in consumers' minds.

The film's a short musical with young actors who are putting together their looks through the Pujo period with Sonata's new, stylish ranges.

Campaign
Objective

To establish Sonata as a strong fashion player during the five days of Durga Puja. The objective is two-fold:

1. To show that no Puja outfit is complete without  a Sonata watch
2. To showcase the brand's latest and modern range of watches for men and women

Utkarsh Thakur, Marketing Head, Sonata stated,  “With dressing up an integral part of Pujo, Sonata complements every ensemble with its assortment of trendy products that are in sync with the demands of today's consumers. We hope that this celebratory film will help consumers choose a Sonata for each of their Pujo looks!”

The Brief

The brief from Sonata to Brandmovers India, the agency for this campaign, came with some interesting challenges. The task at hand was to change the perception of the brand and establish a trend to put Sonata watches at the center of ‘Pujo fashion’.

Creative Thought Process

BrandMovers India knew it had to create a fashion film but with a difference. “That’s when the idea of a musical came to mind. The surreal and happy experience of those five days of Pujo could only be communicated with a visual treatment just as surreal and happy and that’s exactly what we’ve tried to do while keeping Sonata at the center of the narrative all along”, shared Adrijaa Sanyal, Creative Director, Brandmovers India.

Also, the whole idea of coordinating different outfits with different watches, just as one would do with their shoes and bags had to be brought to the forefront. Now the agency’s only hope is to see this film play out in reality (well, as much as it can) this Pujo.

Also Read: Durga Puja Campaigns come bearing important messages

Social Buzz

From spreading chatter around best festive looks with Sonata watches to engaging a few influencers to share elegant looks, the brand kept content coming in.

Sonata bet big on vernacular music and visual approach for the ad film; Social Samosa spoke to industry experts to understand if the proposition of Sonata Durga Pujo campaign helped the brand create differentiation.

Experts Take:

Shubhojit Sengupta, Executive Creative Director, Enormous

Musical as a communication genre has been used many times before. So, as far as the newness of the ad goes, it may not stand out much. In terms of the brand concerned, it appears more like a clothing brand rather than a watch brand. 

Even though there were some references to the product. The music is nice and choreography is kind of ok. But, it has no story which can keep one engaged. Happy to watch but may not remain etched in memory. 

Mithun Mukherjee, Creative Director, Grapes Digital

Sonata fits in their products in the various events during Pujo. The whole thing has a ‘musical’ feel, where actors bring the storytelling to life with a nice narrative. The film also captures the see-saw like the emotion that the festival brings for Bengalis, with a celebration in the beginning and a twinge of sadness as Dashami comes round the corner.

However, while the execution might be interesting, brand visibility seems to get a little lost. With fleeting glimpses of the watches, the recall tends to fizzle out a little.

Aakash Chatterjee, Regional Head - West, WATConsult

To start with I like the concept and the packaging of the film. The film very well connects with how the youth likes to celebrate the festival and successfully integrates their products and USPs. The lyrics of the song are fun and made me a bit nostalgic while, I personally feel that the music could have been a little more catchy to strike a much deeper connect. But, overall, this campaign indeed showcases the power of simple vernacular videos for young digital audiences.

Shubho Sengupta, Brand Consultant

It's very sweet. Nicely art directed, catchy jingle. I am sure it will work for the demographic it's targeted at.