Case Study: How Amul showcased women dairy farmers' stories via hydrographic printing, gaining 1.9Mn views

To celebrate the unsung heroes of rural India, Amul recently unveiled 'Floating Stories', a campaign designed to reach a wide audience across India, spanning rural and urban areas. Using an interactive exhibition featuring photo stories of women dairy farmers, the campaign reached 1.9 million views on Twitter. Here's a detailed case study on the campaign. 

Category Introduction

India proudly holds the title of the world's leading milk producer, with Amul playing a significant role in shaping the dynamics of the industry. It tops the global chart, accounting for 24.64% of the worldwide milk production in the fiscal year 2021-22. The Indian Dairy Market, currently valued at an estimated 26.11 billion USD in 2024, is projected to escalate to 35.96 billion USD by 2029, exhibiting a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.61% during the forecast period (2024-2029). This sector is a cornerstone of the Indian economy, underpinned by an extensive network of dairy cooperatives that positively impact millions of farmers' livelihoods. Given the increasing demand for dairy products, the sector is well-positioned for continued growth in the foreseeable future.

Brand Introduction 

Renowned as the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), Amul is a dairy cooperative that has its roots firmly planted in India. The cooperative operates on a unique model where millions of farmers double as shareholders, thereby collectively owning the organization. 

Summary

Conceptualized by FCB Ulka, 'Floating Stories' is an innovative campaign by Amul that applauds the tenacity and triumphs of women dairy farmers in rural India. 'Floating Stories' is a pioneering exhibition of photostories, uniquely printed on milk, that depict the financial and social success of these Amul women dairy farmers. This inventive approach serves as a touching testament to the fact that just as these women have infused life into milk, the milk now reciprocally breathes life into their stories. It's a holistic homage, demonstrating how their narratives can inspire and empower others.

The campaign weaves a captivating tapestry of hydrographic printing and interactive storytelling. It encourages viewers to pour a few spoonfuls of milk into water-filled troughs, triggering a kaleidoscope of visuals and emotions. As the milk mingles with water, monochromatic portraits of women dairy farmers spring to life, lighting the way towards progress and potential.

Objective 

• The primary objective of the campaign is to ignite hope and aspiration among millions of women across India.
• Highlight the transformative power of every drop of milk, symbolizing stories of empowerment and progress.
• Reinforce the importance of gender equality, empowerment, and inclusive growth. 

Brief

Amul's brief to FCB Ulka was to celebrate and spread the true and inspiring stories of Amul's women dairy farmers, who are also co-owners of India's largest dairy brand, and to spread these stories of hope among Indian women in order to motivate and inspire them as well.

Creative Idea 

The creative idea behind Amul’s Floating Stories Campaign was to share Inspiring true stories of financially and socially successful Amul-female-dairy-farmer which have the power to motivate and change the lives of underprivileged women told through a unique, first-time-ever, novel manner, by printing these photo-stories on milk for the viewer to see liquified photo-portraits (and read each success story alongside) In order to grab the attention of Indian women and be inspired.

Challenges

Team FCB Ulka took their time to perfect the execution. It was a meticulous endeavour, aiming to achieve the perfect balance of milk and water to create the desired effect. The process certainly presented its challenges. Achieving the ideal balance of milk and water was crucial, as it directly impacted the outcome of the prints.

Execution 

As a part of the execution of the campaign, the agency organized an attention-grabbing and innovative on-ground activation in the form of an interactive exhibition. In this, the unique and intricate hydrographic printing technique was used, wherein hydrographic prints of the photographs were carefully laid out to float on the surface of the water mixed with milk to quickly liquify and merge with the mixture of milk and water in order to create a liquid-form photograph (but with solid details).

Attendees added a few spoons full of milk to the water-filled troughs right after a hydrographic print was laid on its surface, to have a ‘milk cloud’ literally and figuratively light up and bring to life the troughs/photographs in this deliberately, dimly and minimally lit exhibition. 

Results 

On social media, it garnered around 1.9 million views on Twitter & 156K views on Instagram.

Commenting on the campaign, Vandana Joshi, President and Head of Office, FCB Ulka, Mumbai, said, " Inspired by the visionary words of Dr Kurien, who envisioned Amul as an "empowerment mission," the campaign aims to ignite hope and aspiration among millions of women across India. These are not tales of urban glamour but narratives of resilience from the heartland, where women have turned challenges into opportunities and cowsheds into cornerstones of prosperity." 

"The essence of Amul's mission lies in the belief that every drop of milk symbolizes a story of transformation. Hence, the innovative approach of "Floating Stories" was born, weaving together art, technology, and tradition to captivate audiences and spark conversations," she adds.