If an advertising campaign from the early 2000s still lives in your head, then it has successfully fulfilled its purpose. Like many other catchy campaigns, ‘Thanda Matlab Coca-Cola’ is one of them. But have you ever wondered who was behind this cultural phenomenon in India?
Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan recently revealed that the iconic campaign was the brainchild of filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker.
In a recent interview with Sourabh Dwivedi on The Lallantop, Khan said that the concept and line were actually crafted by Gowariker, who directed the ad film. “It was Ashutosh who came up with the idea and coined that line,” he said.
Khan, who has collaborated with Gowariker on films like ‘Lagaan’ and ‘Swades’, praised the director’s knack for storytelling, which extended beyond cinema into advertising.
The slogan has long been associated with Prasoon Joshi, the then National Creative Director of McCann Erickson India, who is officially credited with writing and crafting the campaign. Joshi’s work on Thanda Matlab Coca-Cola helped turn it into a cultural catchphrase, the campaign gave the drink a fun, desi twist and made it the go-to choice in India’s small towns and villages.
The Coca-Cola ad, launched in 2003, became a standout campaign that boosted the brand’s image in rural India and picked up several awards along the way. Whether the line came to life on Ashutosh Gowariker’s set or at Prasoon Joshi’s desk, one thing’s for sure, Thanda Matlab Coca-Cola is still one of the most unforgettable ad slogans in the country.
