From the days of Lokmanya Tilak and the Ganesh Utsav, festivals and the methodology to celebrate them, have been successfully engineered to usher in societal change. Elections have long been referred to as the biggest festival of democracy, thus it was natural progression for us at Cognito, to actually translate the festival from just a nomenclature to an enjoyable and relatable ritual. Introduce sharing, inject camaraderie. Develop a symbol that visually depicts an opt-in. Promote it widely and ensure that opinion makers and influencers not only partake in the ritual, but also publicize it from large public platforms.
With this clear strategy in place, we modelled Matbandhan on the very popular festival 'Rakshabandhan'.
Just like Rakshabandhan is a celebration of love between brothers and sisters,
Matbandhan is a celebration of the love between a city and its citizens.
Citizens tie the Matbandhan Rakhi to each other and take a vow to vote. Because only through voting can we protect democracy and choose leaders who will nurture progress and prosperity of the city.
The Matbandhan Rakhi not only demonstrates love for the city, it also acts as a reminder to go and vote on the 22nd of Nov.
In this virtual age of social media where pressing a like button has become commonplace and often forgotten in minutes, Matbandhan aims to bring in something physical and tangible which will stay with the citizen, and perched on his/her wrist, will be an effective reminder to vote on the 22nd.
Cognito produced and distributed these Matbandhan Rakhis free of cost. Newspapers loved the uniqueness and gave it
prime coverage.
Divya Bhaskar | 18th Nov. 2015
Gujarat Samachar | 18th Nov. 2015
Divya Bhaskar | 21st Nov. 2015
Matbandhan was also promoted through WhatsApp messages, emailer and posters.
The clarion call was – If you love your city and want to protect its prosperity, tie a Matbandhan Rakhi to all your family members, friends and office colleagues.
The response was overwhelming. Various city organizations and associations embraced the concept and celebrated Matbandhan. Activists, city luminaries, the youth and the city authorities wore the Matbandhan Rakhi with pride.