: Brand Saga: Air India, eight decades of being the ‘Maharajah’ of advertising #IndiaNEWS #Brand Saga From introducing us to the iconic Maharajah to creating the ‘Truly Indian’ brand image,

Brand Saga: Air India, eight decades of being the ‘Maharajah’ of advertising #IndiaNEWS #Brand Saga
From introducing us to the iconic Maharajah to creating the ‘Truly Indian’ brand image, the Air India advertising journey has been a major part of the airline company’s success story. We take a detailed look at the marketing saga

Travelling has taken a backseat since the pandemic hit the world and definitely should not be a priority, given the crisis. However, that doesn’t stop us from reminiscing the good old days from India’s flag carrier, Air India’s chapter and how the airlines soared to great heights. An expedition that started in 1932 has its wings spread across continents and continues to contribute to the aviation industry. All of it was backed by the company’s strategic approach towards advertising and consumer-centric marketing efforts. This week’s Brand Saga dives into the Air India advertising journey spanning more than 80 years.

A Flight of History

J. R. D Tata in October 1932 himself flew Tata Airlines’ (now Air India) first single-engine de Havilland Puss Moth, carrying air mail from Karachis Drigh Road Aerodrome to Bombays Juhu aerodrome and later continuing to Madras (now Chennai).

The foundation for Tata Airlines was laid in April 1932 when J. R. D. Tata scored a contract from Imperial Airways which lead to the formation of the aviation unit of Tata Sons. The airline launched its first domestic flight from Bombay to Trivandrum with a six-seater Miles Merlin and later in 193 was renamed to Tata Air Services which got re-christened to Tata Airlines.

Once World War II ended and regular commercial aviation service in India went back to normal, Tata Airlines changed its name to Air India and became a public limited company in July 1946.

A year after India became independent, the Government of India took control of 49% stakes of the airline and in June 1948, Air India’s first international flight to London’s Heathrow Airport took off from Bombay (now Mumbai). In 1960, with the introduction of the first Boeing 707-420 aircraft, Air India became the first Asian airline to foray into the Jet Air services and a couple of years later also became the world’s first all-jet airline.

With each passing year, Air India kept introducing various destinations across continents.

Air India Advertising Journey

Air India adopted an aggressive approach when it came to advertising and marketing. For an airline that breathed the independent years and was introduced much before the war eruptions, Air India eyed newspaper advertising and radio as viable options to reach out to the not-so-modernized Indian population.