The Amul girl, a legacy that Dr Kurien left behind, is today, an prototype of freedom of speech
Moneylife Digital Team
Dr Kurien’s second big achievement was the Amul girl and her perceptive, humorous comment on every topical event that attracted the nation’s interest. The Amul moppet, in her polka-dot frock, is an interesting creation—her look is multinational (remember, the now-forgotten Polson butter was the shorthand for salted and packaged yellow butter when she was created) but she actually represents the grassroots cooperatives of India. Yet, every one of the hoardings is urban-oriented and aimed at a clear target market of premium product buyers (then). Dr Kurien’s genius lay in the fact that he allowed his advertising agency to create such an icon and protected them from the petty bureaucracy which would have found innumerable ways to kill the sharpness and creativity that put the hoardings into Indian advertising’s hall of fame. Today, any hint of censoring the Amul hoardings would be a PR disaster. In fact, even if it is a gentle jibe, being noticed by the Amul girl is considered a huge compliment. Having said that, it is still hard to imagine any other company—public, private or multinational—emulating its frankspeak without running into trouble with the government or self-styled vigilantes... and that freedom of expression is another Kurien legacy.