Q] Britannia’s OOH campaign spotlights its enduring commitment to sustainability by letting nature take the lead, showcasing its years of dedication to ESG practices. How did you come up with this idea?
Binaifer: Between Talented and Britannia, we have set a standard for bold, impactful creativity. Be it immortalising freedom fighters, turning biscuits into fashion or convincing India that pockets are dustbins. This shared appetite drives our collaboration. This idea almost didn’t happen! Originally planned as a topical launch, it evolved when someone suggested cutting billboards into tree shapes—an unprecedented move. But pushing boundaries is what we do. From the first conversation with Archana, there was no hesitation, just optimism. The journey wasn’t easy, but we committed to using 100% biodegradable cotton to align with the message. It took six partners and determination to overcome every challenge, but the result is a testament to what we can achieve together.
Aabhaas: The starting point for this campaign stemmed from deep introspection about our industry and the work we do. It’s disheartening to admit, but cutting down trees to increase billboard visibility has sadly become the norm—a practice we’re all complicit in to some extent. This campaign presented the perfect opportunity to challenge that narrative and share Britannia’s ongoing efforts in a meaningful way. It also served as the ideal creative platform to tell our story. That’s how we arrived at the idea.
Archana: As Binaifer mentioned, we are fostering a culture at Britannia that embraces bold, disruptive ideas. We actively encourage out-of-the-box thinking, and some of our best concepts come not from formal briefs, but from passionate, day-to-day collaboration with partners like Talented, who are as invested in our brand as we are. These ideas often stem from a deep desire to land messages in ways that truly resonate with consumers. It’s this shared commitment and creative synergy that create the perfect environment for such innovative ideas to flourish.
Q] The billboards are uniquely shaped to highlight the tree’s growth because of such initiatives, and they also place the brand’s communication well. While they will grab many eyeballs, do you think normal consumers would be able to understand the underlying message?
Archana: Outdoor advertising needs to grab attention fast, and this campaign does it brilliantly by disrupting the norm. It stands out, makes people stop and think, and that’s half the battle won. The Talented team kept the messaging simple and clear, ensuring our sustainability efforts as Britannia came through effectively. Consumers today understand more than we often give them credit for, and this campaign proves it. The response has been fantastic—not just from the ad world but from everyday people who find it disruptive, engaging, and inspiring.
Binaifer: David Ogilvy once said, “The consumer isn’t stupid. She’s your wife.” So, the first step is creating something unignorable—that’s where it all begins. Once you achieve that, users naturally get invested. You know your work has real impact when it circles back to you. It’s fascinating how Aabhaas’ work made its way back to his family groups. Relatives forwarded it, calling it ‘so cool,’ giving him the chance to proudly say, ‘Yes, I made this with my team.’ When your work comes back to you like this, it’s a true sign of virality—beyond PR or flashy headlines. That’s when you know you’ve created something meaningful.
Aabhaas: The craft behind it was a deliberate choice. I vividly recall our early brainstorm sessions, where we discussed billboard messaging. From the outset, we adopted a ‘less is more’ approach, avoiding over-explanation. That’s how the headline Nature Shapes Britannia came to life. It mirrors the user journey. At first, the trippy visual grabs your attention, and then the headline ties it all together, creating that ‘aha!’ moment. We thought carefully about this journey right from the start, ensuring the messaging was simple, clear, and easy to grasp.
Q] It appears that you picked the worst possible spots for Outdoor advertising camouflaged by trees, which might have cost the lowest with regard to media spends because of its little visibility, and then went on to complete the task smartly without pruning the trees to fit the hoarding. Was it a win- win for both cost and sustainability?
Archana: These billboards were more cost-efficient due to their unique locations, typically avoided because of obstructions. However, cost wasn’t the focus. It was about using the trees creatively to enhance our message in a disruptive way. The idea was approved for its innovation, not cost. That being said, it was one of our toughest campaigns, requiring extensive scouting across cities, as no registry exists for billboards covered by trees. The effort, time, and dedication put in far outweighed any cost savings. It was truly a labour of love for the whole team.
Binaifer: It didn’t start as an idea to target low-visibility billboards as media inventory. But when you look at the costs, it really comes down to the labour involved—the amount of time we have all spent making this happen.
Q] The ‘Nature Shapes Britannia’ OOH went live in 4 cities – Hyderabad, Kolkata, Meerut and Pune, in partnership with a range of trees, including Nag Kesar, Aam, Neem & Peepal. Any reason for choosing these locations and more specifically, these trees?
Aabhaas: The idea was unprecedented, with no guide to follow, so it involved trial, error, and experimentation. From a craft perspective, we focused on a few key parameters. First, the proximity of trees to billboards, as side angles could affect visibility. Second, the coverage area – how much of the billboard was obscured? Third, we aimed for diversity in tree types to add value. Finally, we considered the positioning of trees, as we wanted them to cover areas beyond just the bottom of the billboard. After reviewing 73 tree auditions, we narrowed it to 12 and executed six. The process was intensive, requiring significant effort and cost.
Binaifer: Like Aabhaas mentioned, there were 73 locations, and we were confident in our filters— proximity to trees and at least 60% of the billboard being covered by foliage. This led us to identify the best locations. Interestingly, smaller cities had more billboards blocked by trees, while larger cities like Mumbai had none. This offers an intriguing perspective on cities and what we can learn from them.
Archana: We don’t refer to the locations as the Meerut location or the Hyderabad location. Instead, we identify them by the names of trees – it’s the Nag Sandra, the Bel Sandra location, or the Neem location. This is how we communicated internally as well.
