COEXIST BY ALIA BHATT: GIVING A VOICE TO THE VOICELESS

THE PROBLEM

Today, Diwali has become synonymous with fireworks. However, their extensive use not only leads to air and noise pollution, but also causes physical stress and emotional anxiety in those who are unable to raise their voices against it - animals.

THE INSIGHT

Diwali is the festival of light, not sound. And before the advent of fireworks, it was celebrated with diyas and lanterns. But we're tired of hearing the same old PSA-style messaging, "Don't burst crackers during Diwali because it is harmful to animals!" So, instead of dissing the way most people currently celebrate Diwali, we decided to give them an alternative - in the voice of the voiceless.

THE IDEA

We created a short video that was narrated in the voice of the pet to show our audience what an ideal Diwali would look like from his perspective. We focused on the parts of Diwali that don't cause harm to animals or the environment like decorating homes with lanterns and flowers, wearing new clothes, getting gifts, feasting on sweets and most of all, spending time with all your loved ones - friends, families AND especially those who we forget to include in the festivities, our pets. This video was uploaded on all our social media channels. Plus, we also harnessing the reach of an A List Celebrity, Alia Bhatt & her social media to make sure we got our message to as many people as we could.

THE OUTCOME:

Facebook & Instagram - 1,456,000+ Views

Facebook, Twitter & Instagram - 407,000+ Likes

1 290+ Retweets

300+ Shares

1600+ Comments

And a cultural shift towards a more animal-inclusive and eco-friendly Diwali celebration

Disha Vaswani