Much like jingles that sell India abroad — ‘Incredible India' and Kerala, ‘God's Own Country,' the Tamil Nadu Tourism Department too has completed work on a meaningful, melodious, minute-long jingle.
“The aim is to get greater recall value for our advertisements and sell the State on its specific strengths,” says Tourism Secretary V. Irai Anbu. Studies by the department have revealed that catchy jingles have a higher recall value; the inference is that at least a small percentage of that will be converted to tourists to that State.
The lyrics, written by Dr. Irai Anbu, a Tamil scholar with a sense of history, describes Tamil Nadu as the birthplace of arts and a repository of beauty. He captures the natural beauty, the ancient heritage and culture and the uniqueness of the State. The lines have been set to music by Bharadwaj.
“Work on this project started about six months ago on a shoe-string budget,” he says. “I believe that people relate to music in a sub-conscious manner. When you remember the music, you will associate it with images in our State. The song will become an identification point and seeks to unite all stakeholders in Tamil Nadu.”
One set of images have been shot and put together for the jingle, which will be shown in prominent places and on television. “Our aim is to shoot five-six different versions so that we do not repeat the same set of images each time we air it on television,” he says.
Based on the response to the Tamil version, the department proposes to enlarge the campaign to other language domains so that the jingle can also be played across televisions in other States. Last year (2009), 780.38 lakh domestic tourists and 23.69 lakh foreign tourists visited Tamil Nadu. With a series of campaigns and the jingles, the department hopes to attract a substantially higher number this year.
