A sixth-standard child unable to understand the meaning of ‘subject’ set off a wave of laughter nationwide, it was even one of the Top 10 most searched memes of 2023.
But P&G Shiksha’s latest campaign — #StandUpForLearningGaps put a thoughtful spin on this viral moment.
This campaign, for the flagship CSR program of Procter & Gamble India, emphasised that schoolchildren’s lack of basic knowledge is no laughing matter, it’s a learning gap.
To spread the word, they teamed up with comedian Rahul Dua. For starters, surrounding the campaign as a response to a viral meme was a stroke of genius. And the audience has given a big thumbs up with the TVC hitting over 18 million views in a month.
Some comments read: “The video is so beautiful. Hats off to the P&G team.”, “Finally someone talked about it.”, “Beautiful message, thumbs up to the creator of this ad.”
It’s easy for brands to get preachy when tackling social issues, but with ad agency Leo Burnett India and its Chief Creative Officer, South Asia, Rajdeepak Das on board, P&G had nothing to worry about. The agency won five awards at the 2024 Cannes Lions.
Their long-standing partnership, once again, delivered a cracker of a campaign, which leaves you singing praises.
Previously, P&G Shiksha showcased stories of Sushila and Bittu, which highlighted its CSR efforts in education. Last year, their campaign ‘Bridging the invisible gap’ struck a chord with audiences.
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Forces you to interact
At first, the two-and-a-half-minute video appears to be just another stand-up routine. You’re drawn in with laughter until it turns the tables. It kicks off with Dua poking fun at children in rural areas studying in grades 4 and 5 who are unaware of things taught in classes 1 and 2. “It’s like they’ve got a pilot’s license but before takeoff, they’re asking, ‘where’s the gear?’,” says Dua, leaving the audience in stitches.
But just when you’re settling into the laughter, he hits you with the punchline— “Would you still be laughing if it was your own child?”.
While the commercial is enjoying all the love from viewers, P&G Shiksha’s print ad also deserves the spotlight.
They were cleverly disguised as three small newspaper articles, riddled with major grammatical errors.
The bright yellow banner below read, “The spelling mistakes above seem confusing, right? This is the reality of children dealing with learning gaps.”
When a print advertisement forces the audience to engage and interact, you know you have done the job right.
Reel them in for a punchline
CSR initiatives focusing on bridging the education gap in rural India are nothing new.
Last year, Vedantu teamed up with Dentsu Creative India to launch a campaign on this issue.
They introduced a unique device housed within a beautifully illustrated book called ‘The Everything Book’. This patented network aggregator aims to provide high-speed internet access to India’s remotest regions.
Despite this innovation, their message didn’t quite hit the mark. While the doesn’t lack content, it fails to captivate fully. Although the ad isn’t lacking in substance, it struggles to hold attention. The video’s length is fine before it becomes a tedious drag. And, the multiple talking heads detracts from its appeal.
Capturing attention is where P&G Shiksha’s campaign #StandUpForLearningGaps shines. It shows effective communication is more than just stating the facts—it needs to reel the audience in before delivering the punchline.
Brand: P&G
Agency: Leo Burnett India
Starring: Rahul Dua
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)