Capturing brand journey the literal and metaphorical way
For nearly a century, Alstom has been an integral part of India's rail evolution; from pioneering electrification in the 1960s to enhancing long-distance passenger travel, suburban commutes and freight infrastructure. Alstom's solutions are the backbone of India’s mainline and metro rail systems. Today, Alstom has contributed to almost every metro project in India and is also building India’s first semi-high-speed regional train and world-class signalling solutions for the Delhi-Meerut RRTS project. With over 12,000 employees across six industrial sites and five engineering centers, the brand has a significant and deep-rooted presence, driven by a commitment to the overall expansion and advancement of India's rail sector. The core objective was to highlight Alstom’s contributions to India and its impact on daily life and its technological leadership in driving sustainable mobility. We also wanted to inspire the employees and ignite a sense of pride among them for their dedicated efforts. So, we changed tracks to build a powerful brand narrative for Alstom in India.
This vision gave birth to #TakingIndiaPlaces, a campaign articulated for both internal and external audiences. With a hero film at its heart, the campaign spoke about every Indian’s love affair with trains and their role in our daily lives. The poignant, nostalgic film, narrated by Shammi Narang, the iconic voice of Delhi Metro, also celebrated the true legacy of Alstom.
To amplify its impact and reach, a teaser campaign was executed, and watch parties were organised across Alstom India locations. The film was further distributed across social media platforms. Behind-the-scenes videos with Mr. Narang’s content and infographics further sustained engagement.
As part of the influencer engagement, author Durjoy Dutta and other micro-influencers promoted the ad film and drove campaign engagement. The earned media leg of the campaign had two legs. The first was to communicate Alstom’s narrative of private sector partnership in Indian rail. This was executed through op-eds written by Alstom India Managing Director, Olivier Loison and an endorsement article by Sudhanshu Mani, a retired senior Indian Railways officer and the visionary behind the Vande Bharat Express.
As part of the internal communications, mirrors were placed across Alstom’s India workspaces with the (rhetorical) question ‘Who Is Taking India Places?’ written over them. Employees were encouraged to post pictures of this initiative on social media. Turning into ambassadors, they shared the film as well.
Sharing the untold story
The campaign was pivotal in generating positive brand awareness among end-users to showcase Alstom’s journey of leading India’s rail revolution. It further played a significant role in enhancing employee morale and engagement. The campaign's success was further underscored by positive feedback from Alstom's key government clients.
The campaign hashtag #TakingIndiaPlaces trended at positions #1, #2, and #3 in India, respectively, on X during the launch. The brand achieved nearly 60% onsite engagement with employees through Watch Parties.