Delhi govt launches new tourism campaign called 'Dilli Hain Hum' hoping to rebrand city

"We want Delhiites to start seeing the city differently, to like, love and represent their city. Only then will the brand be solid and strong" , said Sonal Narain, head of Wieden+Kennedy which has been tasked with running the campaign.

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Delhi has much to offer, from its Nizamuddin qawallis to plush shopping malls.
Delhi has much to offer, from its Nizamuddin qawallis to plush shopping malls.

In Short

  • Delhi govt wants to rebrand Delhi to make it more attractive for tourists.
  • A new campaign called 'Dilli Hain Hum' will be launched similar to the 'Incredible India' campaign.
  • The plan is to attract young travellers by portraying Delhi as a dynamic, vibrant city.

Delhi is getting rebranded in good measure and in a positive way. The new mantra for the national Capital is 'Dilli Hain Hum' which aims at attracting tourists from across the world and make the Delhiites feel proud of their heritage.

DELHI'S TOURISM CAMPAIGN

All these years, people have been mesmerised by Madhya Pradesh's 'Hindustan Ka Dil Dekho' and Rajasthan's 'Jaane Kya Dikh Jaaye' tourism campaign. But it's time to get ready to be wowed by Delhi's own tourism advertisement blitzkrieg with the innovative tagline which will be launched soon. Not just this, a 21-day 'Delhi Festival' is on the anvil, scheduled from November 19 to December 10, which would bear the slogan, 'Aao Dilli Manayein.'

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It will showcase the city in all its vibrancy, from Chandni Chowk's street food and Mandi House's theatre festivals, to South Delhi's plush shopping malls and eco-tourism at Yamuna and Asola Mines biodiversity parks. An enviable list of artistes and venues is bring drawn up to perform at the mega festival.

SPREADING THE WORD

Envisaged by the Aam Aadmi Party government, at least three top private communications, marketing and advertising agencies have been hired to spread the word on 'Brand Delhi.' One of them, in fact, is a US-based advertising agency, Wieden+Kennedy, which built the entire 'Make in India' campaign for Government of India, including its illustrious 'Lion with Wheel Motifs' logo.

It also has the 'Incredible India' campaign in its portfolio. The other two agencies working on 'Brand Delhi' are 'Square Brand Communication Group' which has the tourism campaigns of Assam, Uttarakhand, Himachal and Bihar to its credit. On the other hand, marketing agency Fountainhead MKTG will execute all the events to be held under the banner of 'Delhi Festival.' City's minister for tourism Kapil Mishra told Mail Today,

"When I took over this job (in June 2015), there was a long-felt need for branding of Delhi on the lines of Gujarat, Daman & Diu, etc. From travel entrepreneurs to tour operators and organisers of heritage walks, all demanded this. We realised there is a need to tell the world what Delhi has to offer among other Indian states." For this purpose, `40 crore was earmarked for promoting 'Brand Delhi' alone. Of this, `25 crore was set aside to hold a unique 'Delhi Festival.' Navneet Kapoor, founder president, Square Brand Communication Group, which is leading the aggressive campaign, said: "Soon an integrated logo of Delhi will be launched with the tagline 'Dilli Hain Hum.'


Posters and TV commercials are being designed accordingly and will soon be spread across the city. Plus, the 'Delhi Festival' will most likely carry the banner 'Aao Dilli Manayein.' It is tentatively slated for November 19 to December 10." The idea is to convey Delhi as a 'mini-India,' where all cultures, religions and ethnicities of the nation converge in a perfect melting pot, said Kapoor. The city will be promoted at three levels: amongst the local residents; Indian domestic travellers; and foreign tourists and backpackers. "Delhi has much to offer, from its Nizamuddin qawallis to Lotus Temple, to the astronomical wonder Jantar Mantar and Qutab Minar," he added.

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DELHI HOPING TO BRING IN MORE TOURISTS

During the peak tourist season of winters (November-April), roughly 2.5-3 lakh foreign tourists visit the Golden Triangle Circuit of Delhi-Agra-Jaipur. This accounts for about 30 per cent of the total number of the inbound traffic in India. However, they stay for only a day or two in the Capital, resulting in the city losing out on revenue and fame. As per Union Ministry of Tourism data (2014), Delhi stands at fourth position among all states and Union Territories in terms of receiving foreign tourists (23.2 lakh). The highest ranking is Tamil Nadu at 46.6 lakh.

It doesn't figure among the top five receiving maximum domestic travellers at all. Sonal Narain, head of strategy, Wieden+Kennedy, Delhi said: "We are really excited to do social and digital media for 'Brand Delhi.' The current perceptions of it are fragmented and polarised. People either feel very negatively about the city (following crimes against women) or don't know about it. We plan to build 'Brand Delhi' ground up and inside out. We want Delhiites to start seeing the city differently, to like, love and represent their city. Only then will the brand be solid and strong."

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She added that the Delhi government is eyeing young travellers, "We are going after young backpackers who are very urban and like cities, not guided tours of villages. We are competing against the major cities of the world, New York, San Francisco, etc. We plan to portray Delhi as a dynamic, vibrant, living, breathing city. It is edgy, fascinating and a modern city and we wish to deliver an authentic experience of it.

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