Micromax Informatics has rolled out a campaign featuring Kapil Sharma for its Bolt range of smartphones. Conceptualised by Lowe Lintas, one of three TVCs have been released.

The film communicates that Micromax has tied up with Airtel to provide users with free data for WhatsApp.

Sharma plays a double role in the spot. It opens with Sharma walking down stairs dressed like a burglar. He's confronted by the other Sharma, who is reading a newspaper, who asks if he is headed to 'fancy dress'. The burglar version says he's going to steal a bank, reasoning that if he had money, he'd have friends chasing him. The other Sharma warns him that it won't be friends but police who chase him. Advice and the pitch follow: that he should have a smart phone instead. Throwing him a phone, he urges the friends-seeking Sharma to use WhatsApp without worry, as he won't be charged for data. The film ends with the voice over introducing the Bolt range and the offer with Airtel.

A similar film is running for the South market with Telugu actor Rana Daggubati.

Shubhajit Sen, CMO, Micromax Informatics, said, "Around 70 to 80 million Indians convert from their feature phones to smartphones every year and more and more consumers will use a smartphone for their initial computing and Internet needs leapfrogging the PC and laptop generation. We believe that smartphones will play a significant role in meeting PM’s ‘Digital India’ vision to connect the next billion. Micromax, being a front runner in the sub 7.5k mass segment handsets, has taken a step ahead in its philosophy of democratising technology to the masses and has come up with a special program to enable the consumers to take the next technological leap towards the smartphones from feature phones. To make smartphone adoption a mass phenomenon, we are bringing together an ecosystem of device, services, local language and internet as well as roped in two celebrities with ‘nothing like anything’ attitude and mass appeal – Kapil Sharma and Rana Daggubati – to take our message ahead."

Brian Action, co-founder, WhatsApp, said, "WhatsApp is excited to partner with Micromax as it continues to offer affordable innovations that enable connectivity. With over 900 million active users around the world and India being an important part of that, we remain focused on helping people communicate in a way that has become a part of everyday life. We are pleased to be working together with Micromax in this unique offering so that people in India can stay connected with their friends and family both in India and abroad."

Credits

Client: Micromax

Agency: Lowe Lintas Delhi