Balbir Pasha : The Baadshah of Aids Campaigns in India

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The campaign had three phases starting with a teaser campaign aimed at building intrigue and to get through the clutter of ads the audience in Mumbai was bombarded with. This three-week-long phase saw men belonging to the lower and middle income group asking each other, ‘Will Balbir Pasha get AIDS?'The second phase, which lasted for eight weeks, which was also the main campaign phase, depicted specific behavioral patterns displayed by Balbir Pasha. The second phase made the target group question themselves about their own behavior and whether they fell in the high-risk category.

The third phase of the campaign, which lasted for two weeks, provided the target group with a helpline number that could be used to get reliable information that the audience would like to seek with relation to high-risk behaviors that would result in the contracting of HIV/AIDS. The third phase motivated the target group to call the helpline. This phase also carried messages like “I don't want to become Balbir Pasha. What should I do?”

A post-campaign evaluation study by TNS Mode with 1500 people revealed that a quarter of all respondents recalled the Balbir Pasha campaign spontaneously. Of the respondents, 62% recalled the campaign after hearing the word ‘HIV/AIDS', while 90% remembered the campaign after hearing the words ‘Balbir Pasha'. It was observed that PSI's ‘Saadhan'HIV/AIDS hotline saw a 250% increase in the number of calls it received after the campaign. Almost a quarter of the respondents knew the name of the hotline; more than 75% believed that the hotline would provide reliable information to the caller. Respondents also recorded increasing awareness levels regarding high-risk behaviors and what they could do to avert the disease.

The campaign was assimilated as part of the local culture. Amul, known for its satirical and topical billboard ads, used Balbir Pasha as one of its billboard themes. The ad came with the caption, ‘Who does Balbir Pasha wake up with every morning? Amul Butter. Regular Item'. Four months after the campaign, a leading daily came up with a cartoon on Balbir Pasha. The campaign was also discussed in the local media. An independent film on sex and AIDS used the ‘Balbir Pasha'name while a B-grade movie also used the name ‘Balbir Pasha'in its title.

Questions for Discussion:

1. “The (Balbir Pasha) campaign was assimilated as part of local culture.” What attracted the target group to the personality of Balbir Pasha? Answer1

2. “Post-campaign research revealed that the campaign had made an impact on the target group and changed their attitudes toward risky behavior.” How did PSI try to bring about a behavioral change in the target audience? Answer2

Additional Readings & References:
 
1. Narayan, Ramesh, “Public (dis)service advertising?” The Hindu BusinessLine, March 27, 2003.
2. “Balbir Pasha: HIV/AIDS Campaign is the talk of Mumbai,” www.psi.org, August 2003.
3. “Will Balbir Pasha get AIDS?” www.eldis.org, 2003.
4. “The success of the “Balbir Pasha” campaign in India,” www.comminit.com, 2004.
5. www.etstrategicmarketing.com.