New Delhi: The Amul Girl lost its creator Sylvester daCunha on Tuesday when the legendary advertising guru breathed his last in Mumbai at the age of 80.
Very sorry to inform about the sad demise of Shri Sylvester daCunha, Chairman of daCunha Communications last night at Mumbai
A doyen of Indian advertising industry who was associated with Amul since 1960s. The Amul family joins in mourning this sad loss @RahuldaCunha
ॐ Shanti 🙏 pic.twitter.com/cuac1K6FSo
— Jayen Mehta (@Jayen_Mehta) June 21, 2023
Created in 1966, the big-eyed, chubby cheeked mascot of India’s largest dairy brand, has been an indelible part of growing up of millions of young children in the country. And the three words — “utterly butterly delicious” — have become synonymous with butter, not just that of Amul, for nearly six decades.
The adman was the founder of daCunha Associates in Mumbai, now headed by his son Rahul daCunha. His agency was given the Amul account in the early 1960s. The brand wanted to change its identity and rival then market ruler Polson, which had on its log a young girl buttering a slice of bread.
The advertising legend was quoted in several interviews, stating he wanted a girl as Amul’s face, one who could worm her way into the hearts of homemakers.
He teamed up with his then art director Eustace Fernandes to come up with the mischievous Amul girl, with big eyes and short hair in a polka-dotted frock.
Since 1966, the Amul girl is the longest, continuously running advertisement campaign in a single character.
But daCunha didn’t stop at just creating the new face of Amul, the world’s largest milk producer. He very intelligently came up with the idea of tweaking the ad so that each version gave a satirical take on a hot topic. Through her, the icon kept up a clever commentary on relevant subjects, enhancing her reach and popularity across multiple generations.
As messages of condolence poured in, Twitter user Arijit Mukherjee posted one that defined the country’s grief — a weeping Amul Girl mourning her creator’s death.
…as the #AmulGirl gently weeps…..
Rest in peace Sylvester DaCunha! A legendary figure of our advertising industry! pic.twitter.com/rcTptTLbi6
— Arijit Mukherji (@ArijitMusic) June 22, 2023
Here are some memorable Amul Girl ads:
#Amul Topical: The new Sansad Bhavan! pic.twitter.com/kKVmbrtYg8
— Amul.coop (@Amul_Coop) May 30, 2023
#Amul Topical: Celebrating World Yoga Day! pic.twitter.com/JNyYmsQP2q
— Amul.coop (@Amul_Coop) June 21, 2023
#Amul Topical: ₹2000 notes to be discontinued! pic.twitter.com/ld6aiO2jfb
— Amul.coop (@Amul_Coop) May 20, 2023
#Amul Topical: Twitter removes blue ticks from verified accounts! pic.twitter.com/FCeLEpLWy8
— Amul.coop (@Amul_Coop) April 23, 2023
#Amul Topical: The Elephant Whisperers wins Best Documentary Short Film at Oscars! pic.twitter.com/LzjF22BMRu
— Amul.coop (@Amul_Coop) March 13, 2023