Truly a ladies' Olympics, says da Cunha on Amul's tribute to women athletes

Dairy brand Amul has always been utterly and butterly in step with the mood of the country. So, when our women athletes opened India’s medal tally and went on to win other medals at the Tokyo Olympics making every Indian’s heart swell with pride, Amul’s signature, iconic ads too paid ode to the inspiring wins of these sportswomen.

Amul’s latest topical cartoon features Indian pugilist Lovlina Borgohain, the 23-year-old from Assam, who bagged India’s second bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday (August 3). Making a play at the victorious boxer’s name, the brand’s cartoon read, “Borgo hain sabse behtar (Borgo[hain] is the best). We Lov it”.

Lovlina became the second female boxer after MC Mary Kom to win an Olympic bronze medal. Though she lost to reigning world champion Busenaz Surmeneli, Indians raved about her stunning fight. The Amul girl came up with a punchy, tongue-in-cheek comment on the matter.

Also read: When bronze glows like gold: India’s hockey team wins medal after 41 years

Amul also captured the magic behind PV Sindhu’s historic achievement at the Tokyo Olympics and weightlifter Mirabai Chanu’s silver medal win. An Indian Express report called the recent spate of Amul ads the “celebration of women power” at the Tokyo Games.

Commenting on the tributes paid largely to the women athletes at the Olympics, Rahul da Cunha, creative director of Mumbai-based Da Cunha Communications, which is behind the witty, well-known Amul’s topical advertisements, told The Federal, “It is a happy coincidence the first three medals were all won by women in the Olympics.”

Rahul da Cunha, who took over creating Amul’s topical advertisements from his father Sylvester, in 1993, said, “Truly, this has been a ladies Olympics…for the most part to do well in this country in a sport that is not cricket is a struggle. Also, these women have not come from metros nor are they from wealthy backgrounds. The story of Indian hockey skipper Rani Ramphal and how she struggled to reach where she has, is simply stunning.”

The Amul ad’s salute to Sindhu particularly won hearts with a sketch of the ace shuttler wearing the bronze medal around her neck along with the Amul girl glowingly showing two with her fingers to emphasise the shuttler’s historic achievement. Sindhu had become the first Indian woman to win not one but two consecutive Olympic medals — bronze in Tokyo and silver in 2016 Rio Games.

While weightlifter Mirabai Chanu’s silver win in the women’s 49 kg was acknowledged with a snappy, succinct line that said it all: “Worth her weight in silver”.