On the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, The Free Press Journal unveiled two campaigns which aimed to inspire Mumbaikars to celebrate the festival in an environmentally conscious way, reflecting the newspaper’s commitment to sustainable and responsible festivities.

Rediffusion’s Ladyfinger team designed the campaign, encouraging Mumbaikars to embrace more environmentally responsible ways to honour Bappa. Through the “Bappa’s Favourite Pin Code” campaign, they addressed a pressing environmental issue: the immersion of Ganesh idols in the sea, which adversely affects marine life and the environment. 

Bappa’s Favourite Pin Codes

To motivate Mumbaikars to choose artificial ponds with this initiative, the campaign sought to shift the narrative by rewarding the locality with the highest number of artificial pond immersions, designating it as ‘Bappa’s Favourite Pin Code’.

The campaign included a launch ad to build curiosity, a reminder ad to reinforce the message and a post-visarjan ad with data from BMC and local authorities. Working with data from BMC and local authorities, they wanted to inspire real change, making artificial pond immersions a new tradition for the city.

“The campaign aimed to establish a lasting brand property for FPJ, instilling pride in taking household Ganesh idols to artificial ponds. With a vision of achieving zero household idols immersed in the sea. A simple idea like this can change lives," says Vritti Dey, Senior Business Head at Rediffusion.

Eco-Friendly Bappa Contest

Building on this theme, they also launched the ‘Eco-Friendly Bappa Contest’ in collaboration with origami artist Hiral Mehta. This was done through a dedicated interactive insert in the newspaper. The insert has dotted lines to guide readers in crafting an origami Ganesh idol. It also had a QR code that directed readers to a video tutorial. 

“With this campaign, we do not want to restrict the art to print but want it to be interactive where the readers watch the video and make their origami Ganesh idol,” says Virendra Tivrekar, National Head of Art at Rediffusion. A hands-on experience that allowed Mumbaikars to make and cherish their eco-friendly idols, with a personal touch to their festivities while reducing environmental impact. 

The campaign then encouraged readers to share their creations on social media, turning the movement into a community celebration to redefine Ganesh Chaturthi traditions in a way that positively impacts our city and its future.