Remember the adorable, quirky white mascots with ballooned bodies and egg heads? Yes, we’re talking about Vodafone’s iconic ZooZoos!
These lovable characters, conceptualized by the brilliant Rajiv Rao, the executive creative director of Ogilvy India, were brought to life for IPL’s Season 2. The creative team at Ogilvy & Mather, directed by Nirvana Films, captured the charm of ZooZoos in an incredible series of 30 ads that wowed millions.
The Birth of ZooZoos:
The brief given to Ogilvy was to make real people look as animated as possible. This challenge was met by using small-bodied, thin women covered in layers of white fabric. The facial expressions on the ZooZoos were made of rubber and then pasted onto the actors, minimizing the time and cost involved in shooting the ads. Several challenges were overcome during the shoot, such as choosing the right material for the bodysuit to avoid wrinkles during movement and creating props and shadows through spray painting.
ZooZoos Were Real Humans:
The size of the sets was deliberately kept large to make the characters appear small. Instead of using children, the production team chose small-bodied adults due to the odd shooting schedules. The entire film was shot within 10 days, with ZooZoo costumes split into two parts: a Perspex head and a foam-stuffed body. Despite being covered from head to toe, the actors brought these characters to life with their movements and expressions.
Impact and Engagement:
When ZooZoos were launched, Vodafone was one of the main broadcast sponsors of IPL, providing a perfect opportunity to reach a wide audience. A dedicated micro-site was created to engage the audience with quizzes, contests, goodies, wallpapers, screensavers, and ringtones. The ads gained immense popularity, and social media buzz was off the charts. According to Wikipedia, there are around 200 pages on ZooZoo, and the “Making of ZooZoo” video received over 10,000 views in just four days. Popular ads like “The Busy Message” and “Roaming with Girlfriend” garnered hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube.
Awards and Recognition:
In 2009, Vodafone received the Glitterbox Award from PETA for replacing their pug with ZooZoos, a more human alternative. The ZooZoos made a comeback in 2013 as Zumies, complete with their own anthem, Zumi Zumi. By 2015, ZooZoos were featured in the ‘My Vodafone App’ launch, showcasing their enduring appeal. Vodafone also introduced Super ZooZoo as a symbol of their 3G launch in India.
A Creative Success Story:
This initiative saved Vodafone a lot of money and cemented their brand recall without needing a big celebrity endorsement. It proved that creativity could be as effective, if not more, than traditional marketing strategies involving famous personalities.
Conclusion:
The ZooZoos’ fame is a testament to the power of innovative marketing and engaging storytelling. These characters have left an indelible mark on advertising history and continue to be fondly remembered by audiences.
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