 "Why Daikin's 'Cool A School' campaign is just scam marketing")
This is a new tear-jerker. A brand feels terrible about how much school kids in rural India suffer.
Just imagine their plight. Their schools are miles away from their huts/residences. They have to walk the distance. Many schools are housed in make-shift structures. Many schools have no teachers. Many have no drinking water. Many have no toilets. Many have no books, no blackboards, no fans, no lights, no library, no computer.
[caption id=“attachment_812879” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]
A screenshot of the ad.[/caption]
Many have no electricity.
Not to worry, Daikin has the solution for all these schools.
Give them air-conditioners.
I’m not kidding. That is Daikin’s solutions to the suffering of school children in rural India.
I’ve made it easier for you and re-typed the text for ease of reading.
“In villages across India, children travel to school by foot. In intense heat, these children stop going to school.
Daikin India aims to provide cooling solutions to rural schools across the nation.
We begin our efforts from Neemrana, Rajasthan.
Help us reach another village.
Like. Share. Follow.
1 million views = 1 more school.
Join the cause at Daikin cool a school.
Coolaschool.com.”
Interestingly, the video has been uploaded under the ’nonprofits and activism’ category.
That’s sweet.
And do they promise to install air-conditioners in all these millions of schools? Er, no.
“For every million views, Daikin can adopt a government school in rural India.
We will then introduce sustainable cooling solutions that can provide relief to thousands of children. Every single view counts.”
The emphasis is mine.
They can adopt. For every million views.
So can I. For even 100,000 views. Or 10,000 views. Or 1000 views. Or 100 views. I can, as Daikin can?
Will they? That’s another question. Which arises, of course, if the video ever gets a million views, which is as likely as snow in rural Tamil Nadu.
More importantly, what inspired this brilliant idea?
The only logic is that someone at Daikin or at their ad agency is a fan of Marie Antoinette, who famously asked people to eat cake if they couldn’t afford bread.
Not cool. At all.
Anant Rangaswami was, until recently, the editor of Campaign India magazine, of which Anant was also the founding editor. Campaign India is now arguably India's most respected publication in the advertising and media space. Anant has over 20 years experience in media and advertising. He began in Madras, for STAR TV, moving on as Regional Manager, South for Sony’s SET and finally as Chief Manager at BCCL’s Times Television and Times FM. He then moved to advertising, rising to the post of Associate Vice President at TBWA India. Anant then made the leap into journalism, taking over as editor of what is now Campaign India's competitive publication, Impact. Anant teaches regularly and is a prolific blogger and author of Watching from the sidelines.