Shell India has unveiled its latest campaign, ‘Great Things Happen When We Move’, which celebrates the indomitable spirit of Indian women, their dreams, and aspirations along with their inspiring journeys. Shell has launched three new brand films that showcase inspirational stories of mobility thereby bringing alive the brand’s partnership and commitment to this nation as catalyst of change.
‘Great Things Happen When We Move’ is a campaign about the people who displayed unconquerable courage and motivation to realise their ambitions by doing one simple thing - moving forward. The campaign has been specifically launched ahead of International Women’s Day to encourage Indian women who face towering challenges in their quest for mobility.
The films, directed by filmmaker Arunima Sharma, are based on the stories of three amazing women, and mobility is at the heart of each. The first film highlights the story of Yogita Raghuvanshi, India’s first female truck driver who could not pursue her career in law as she took the responsibility of being a single mother after her husband passed away. The second film celebrates Geeta Tandon who walked out of an unhappy marriage and tried her hand at several things to support herself and her children. She found her calling when she became Bollywood’s leading stuntwoman. The third film showcases how travel expert Sumitra Senapaty, founder of Women On Wanderlust, encourages women to travel to over 50 destinations around the world.
The core assertion of these films is to establish that mobility is a key enabler of people’s progress and it holds specifically true for women.
Shell Companies India chairman Nitin Prasad said, “India is one the fastest growing economies in the world and we acknowledge the role that mobility plays in a nation’s progress. At Shell India, we are constantly working towards understanding the needs of our customers and pioneering products and services that enable this mobility, especially for women as their journey is not easy. Ensuring that women have an equal participation in all areas of work, at all levels and in all locations is our constant endeavour. We have fuel stations entirely run by women, an all women crew that installs canopies at our sites under construction, about one third of the working professionals/ employees in Shell business operations are women and we continue to encourage an interest in STEM education for our young bright minds across schools and colleges. We are proud of the journey we have made so far but there is a lot more that needs to be done and we are committed to keep moving forward on this path and make a brighter future.”
Director Arunima Sharma said, “It's been a privilege to direct the new Shell campaign. I strongly resonated with these powerful stories that Shell and the team at Wunderman Thompson chose to tell. Yogita, Geeta and Sumitra are so different from each other, but are connected by the idea of finding their freedom by overcoming odds. As these stories are based on real women, for me it was important to have honesty and authenticity in the treatment of the films.”
Wunderman Thompson vice president & ECD Siddharth Prasad said, “We didn’t want to just ‘narrate’ a story to viewers. We wanted them to be a part of the journey and rejoice in the protagonist’s success. Hence, the scripts were written from the point of view of an observer, someone who became a casual participant in a day in the life of our heroines. The narrative is very organic, the characters are real and believable. Inspiring stories; but designed to engage rather than impress.”
