When Rabindranath Tagore turned Brand Influencer

Did you know that Rabindranath Tagore was a classic brand endorser back in the day?

Tagore, as is widely perceived, was quite the symbol of India's cultural rebirth!

It may, however, be a shocker that Rabindranath Tagore once became India's advertising darling. With the rise of the Indian economy, brands in the British era were eager to hop on the 'Swadeshi' bandwagon and promote their locally-made products. And who better to lead the charge than Tagore himself? From promoting his compositions in 1889, he graduated to being the ultimate Swadeshi brand endorser, advocating everything from cosmetic items to food products.

Tagore's foray into Swadeshi advertising was like a classic case of 'my toy is cooler than yours"—a natural tendency in a market where everything is too fresh to be adored on its own, and it's simpler to pit them against a mutual foe. On the commemoration of the birth anniversary of the literary genius, whose talents seem to expand like a never-ending galaxy, it's hard not to chuckle at Rabindranath Tagore's early career as India's OG influencer.

Consider the brand 'Sulekha," a true relic of the Self Reliance Movement, born amid India's fight for freedom back in 1934. Sulekha was blessed with a name bestowed by Tagore himself. Well, well, well, it looks like someone named Sulekha was destined to have beautiful handwriting. The ink was so impressive that it staged a rebellion against the British regime, giving a knockout punch to British ink brands like Quink.

Jalajog decided to give Doi a posh name and called upon the great Rabindranath Tagore to do the honors. And voila! Doi was reborn as Payodhi.

Godrej No. 2 soap was a classic 'moment marketing' dream. Back in 1919, Godrej was already ahead of the game with their vegetable soap, proving that being clean and green is timeless. Godrej's revolutionary technology managed to charm even the most discerning Indian critics, who were skeptical of anything remotely European, including their meat-eating habits. It seems like even Tagore couldn't resist the charm of Godrej's soap; he quickly turned brand ambassador, saying, "I know of no foreign soap better than Godrej's, and I will make a point of using it.”

Despite the raging Swadeshi agitation, Tagore endorsed the British-manufactured Cadbury Bournvita and featured in one of their ads. Similarly, from Sri Ghrita ghee to harmoniums by Dwarkin & Son, the list of endorsements is plentiful.

The bard resorted to seeking donations for Visva-Bharati, and consequently, he acquiesced to a greater number of brand endorsements and speaking engagements than he would have preferred, spanning various locations within India and abroad.

#marketing #endorsements #brand #advertising #india #rabindranathtagore