Page 60 - seniors today november 2020
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Federation) to sell milk products of different The brand Amul was registered in 1957.
dairies under a common name Amul (Anand It was Sylvester’s idea to come up with a
Milk Union Limited ). Until Amul came onto mascot. A child rather than an adult like
the scene the butter market was dominated the Maharajah, the Amul girl soon became
by Polson, a dairy brand which was started an enigmatic figure entertaining the Indian
in India by Pestonjee Eduljee in 1915 in audience. Legend has it that it was Sylvester
Mumbai. Incidentally Polson’s dairy was and his wife Nisha who came up with the
also set up in Anand. tag line for the brand ‘Utterly Butterly’
Looking back at the Polson brand, it also delicious. Although ‘butterly’ was a made-
had a girl mascot although she was a serious up word, it seemed to hit the right chords
mascot in the style of all the old early 20th with its audience. The caricature of the Amul
century brands, not entertaining like the girl was created by Eustace Fernandes, an
Amul girl. I can’t help feeling that the idea art director who worked with Sylvester da
of a little animated girl as a mascot for Amul Cunha.
was inspired to be a ‘counterpoint’ to the
Polson girl. And a great counterpoint it
was in retrospect, because Amul killed the
Polson brand.
The first Amul butter hoarding ever. The Amul girl says a prayer
Soon the Amul girl took over some of the
attention from the Air-India Maharajah, first
created in 1946 by Bobby Kooka and Umesh
Rao, an art director with the erstwhile
J Walter Thompson. Both these brands
became the country’s two commentators on
current affairs through their billboards in
strategic locations throughout the country.
Along with RK Laxman’s cartoons with the
common man, and the Air India Maharajah,
the Amul Girl entertained India with her
commentary on the current affairs of the
nation, always bringing a smile to the face of
the viewer. Soon the Amul girl also acquired
a brother, who perhaps was less popular but
provided the Amul girl some male company
adding a touch of humour to every subject in
The Polson brand also had a girl as mascot, but she was
serious the country.
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