Air India has released its latest ad campaign, including a clever new video spot that attempts to market Air India by marketing the nation of India.

Clever New Air India Ad Campaign: “There Is An Air About India”

As Air India describes it, the ad captures “the essence of a nation on the rise that Air India is proud to carry around the world.”

• The ad’s centrepiece is the rap-style soundtrack composed by music director Sneha Khanwalkar
• It includes vocals by emerging rap artist Aarya Jadhao
• Each beat and verse “weaves together the diverse cultural fabric of India — its colours, cuisines, communities, and ambitions.”

Air India boasts, “The film blends rhythmic storytelling, sharp transitions, and stunning visuals — capturing the soul of India, from bustling metros to remote heartlands.”

That’s all marketing fluff, of course, but I quite like the ad…even though it doesn’t actually make a case for Air India itself. I had a perfectly pleasant flight on Air India last time I flew through India, but we know many have had poor flights and the Tata-owned carrier is still very much in rebuilding mode as it seeks to transform from troubled to terrific.

What A Difference A Decade Makes…

One Mile At A Time reminded me that Air India has come a long (L…O…N…G) way from its former laughably amateur ad campaign of 2015:

“Are you Indian?” Can you say cringe?

Pathetic is too kind of a word for that ad.

Good job Air India on coming a very long way (and of course, it helps that Air India partnered with creative agency McCann for its latest campaign).

CONCLUSION

I’m quite excited to see what Air India is going to do. It makes sense now to focus on India itself versus the airline when the airline product is so inconsistent, and I have to admit…the ad effectively makes me think about visiting India.

And yes, folks, when I fly to India for my Emirates trip next year, I hope to fly on Air India (especially since I missed the Etihad award space by a few minutes…). That should be fun.

What do you think of the new Air India ad campaign?