The Mahindra Group together with the Project Nanhi Kali marked the National Girl Child Day on January 24 with the release of Rise Up, their anthem for the Girl Child that draws on the #LadkiHaathSeNikalJayegi campaign launched last year. The anthem is a rap mix through a collaboration between rapper, writer and vocalist Deepa Unnikrishnan (aka Dee MC) and hip-hop dancer Simi Talsania. Vivek Nayer, Chief Marketing Officer, Group Corporate Brand, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd tells us more about the anthem, and why he expects it to strike a chord with millennials…
ON THE RISE UP ANTHEM
Six months ago, when we launched #LadkiHaathSeNikalJayegi, the core thought was to empower young women in the country through education. With the Rise Up anthem, the core thought is the same except that it is rendered in a more contemporary manner leveraging National Girl Child Day. I believe this anthem will appeal to millennials in a big way. Our message was not just about education for girls but also about enabling them to choose their own careers freely, however unconventional. In the previous film, there was a scene where the father tells his daughter to study hard and become an engineer, but she tells him that she would rather be a pilot. So the ‘seed’ for this film was already sowed in our previous one.
ENLISTING COMMUNITY SUPPORT TO DRIVE CHANGE
Like Mahindra, there are several brands that are doing good through their CSR initiatives. However, to drive change, we must enlist the support of the people and the community. We are fortunate that the Mahindra legacy gives us the credibility to enlist community support and drive societal change.