[Reader-list] The origin of "Salaam Bombay"

[Shivam Vij]

A New York State of Mind

By Vivek Kamath

New York and Mumbai. Mumbai and New York. They have so much in common.
Both cities are vertical in their architecture and in their ambition.
Both have a phenomenal work ethic. And both are as vulnerable as an
ice cube in a volcano.

Last week's attack on New York brought back memories of Mumbai's
serial blasts in 1993.

Everyone has a story to tell about the blasts. Here's mine: I was
working at Trikaya Grey whose offices were at Kala Ghoda. When the
stockmarket bombs went off, we heard a muffled thud and thought
someone had dropped the photocopier on the mezzanine. Then, someone
came in from lunch and said, people were bleeding on the street and
stories of other blasts started doing the rounds. Some true, others
unfounded. There were no mobile phones or Net connections then. The
landlines were jammed by anxious family members and friends. After the
riots of December 1992 and January 1993, fear covered the city like
shroud.

But unlike December and January, these attacks were the handiwork of
an outsider who was trying to destabilise Mumbai. And Mumbai refused
to cower under the attack. In an overwhelming show of tenacity and
resilience, the citizens of Mumbai pitched in to help the victims of
the blasts. BEST buses doubled up as ambulances and sped the injured
to the shelter of a hospital. Near the stock market, restaurant owners
put up drums of drinking water. There were queues of blood donors at
hospitals and by 9 pm, blood banks were full. Outside the passport
office, people had formed a ring around the blast site and onset of
set of volunteers helped the injured while one set diverted traffic.

One of Trikaya Grey's clients was on his way home from the airport
when he saw the devastation outside the passport office. But he also
saw the spirit with which ordinary, everyday people were helping out.
He got home and called Ravi Gupta (now no more but then the MD of
Trikaya Grey). He told Mr. Gupta to do a campaign that saluted the
spirit of this city. Use print, outdoor, radio, TV, T-shirts, buttons.
Do what you must, he exhorted. But highlight these seemingly isolated
instances of courage and bind them together in a campaign that unites
the city and makes us proud to be a part of it.

But while he was willing to pick up the tab for the exercise, the
client was clear that he did not want his logo on the campaign. He
felt any ring of sponsorship around this message would smack off crass
commercialization and dilute the message. Mr. Gupta called a meeting
of six people (creative, client servicing and media) and briefed them.
Don't give me an "I love New York" kind of campaign, he said. I want
pride, not love, he emphasized. He told us we would meet every two
hours to review progress.

In less than 24 hours, the Salaam Bombay campaign was born. The
strapline was It's my Bombay. I'm proud of it. Billboards and print
ads highlighted how, despite the serial blasts on Friday, there was
92% attendance in offices on Saturday. Of how trading resumed at the
stock market on Monday. Armed with a blanket permission letter from
the CM, six camera crews shot footage of the devastation and
contrasted it with images of the city getting back on its feet. Kids
at traffic lights sported Salaam Bombay T-Shirts. College kids
distributed car stickers which motorists, for once, gladly put up.

The campaign made its point and sent out a signal. At least six
multinats asked for copies they could send overseas so their
headquarters knew Bombay was safe. Through it all, the man who
initiated the entire exercise remained quietly in the background. But
today, eight years later, I am taking the liberty of naming Mr. NS
Sekhsaria of Gujarat Ambuja Cement.

Because as the destructive footage of last week's events started to
steam in. As economies collapsed and there was talk of war, I thought
of Mr. Sekhsaria and I was filled with hope.

Because if New York and Mumbai have so much in common, there must be
someone like Mr. Sekhsaria in New York. The world needs them right
now. Quite, strong men of steel and vision, who always look at the
silver lining. And think constructively even in the most destructive
of times.

[ Got it from here:
http://aforangst.blogspot.com/2006/07/no-clever-title-for-this-one-my-head.html
]