Mascot Monday: The Lijjat Rabbit's hop to fame
An anthropomorphic bunny enjoying papads in the company of humans may seem like something out of a fever dream. But ask any millennial or a gen xer and they will tell you about one of the most perplexing yet fascinating ads of their youth. In the early 80s, plucky little co-op and a master puppeteer came together to create one of the most unforgettable mascots India had ever seen -- the Lijjat Rabbit. As bizarre as the concept of a papad-munching bunny was in theory, in practice, it was a hit. As soon as the ad was aired, viewers were instantly captivated by the muppet. He even went on to wed Mrs Bunny who has also appeared in commercials alongside her husband. Eventually, the family grew and the Bunnys welcomed a baby bunny.
In today's edition of Mascot Mondays, we pay tribute to Lijjat's leporine superstar who made us look forward to commercial breaks and got us excited about the humble papad.
The rabbit's tale
A brand synonymous with "papads" in India, Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad is a success story in more ways than one. It's an enduring symbol of female entrepreneurship and empowerment, raking in upwards of $224 million in revenue yearly. Its immaculate success model notwithstanding, Lijjat also owes a part of its success to its brilliant ad campaigns and its unforgettable mascot.
Prior to 1980, Lijjat believed that the best promotion was through word of mouth. The co-op rather focuses on the quality of the product than spending huge amounts on ads.
However, its success also made way for many fraudsters to sell fake Lijjat papads in the market. To counter the menace, the company felt it was perhaps time to go big on branding. Lijjat's packaging already had a trademark picture of a boy eating papad, but the co-op wanted more.
Actor Appi Umrani worked closely with Lijjat and was determined to shoot an ad for the co-op on a modest budget. Impressed by ventriloquist Ramdas Padhye, who performed on Doordarshan with his puppet Ardhavatrao, Umrani approached the puppeteer to gauge his interest in creating a character for the Lijjat.
Padhye, who initially pitched middle-class human characters for the ad, was convinced that a bunny muppet would do the trick. However, the folks at Lijjat needed convincing. "Why would a rabbit eat papad?" was the question.
A few days later, Padhye hauled a big bunny muppet to the Lijjat office. The large anthropomorphic rabbit with white fur, beady eyes and buck teeth wore a satin green bow over a black vest. Only after seeing the ventriloquist's creation, did the Lijjat executives agree to cast the mascot.
Muppet becomes a star
After his successful TV debut, the bunny was inducted onto the Lijjat packaging right next to its original mascot "Babla", and the muppet has stayed put on the cover ever since.
While most millennials and gen xers have fond memories of the muppet, some were terrified of the giant bunny. An unintended consequence of the ad was that it stoked fear in the minds of kids. Pupaphobia or fear of puppets arises from their uncanny life-like appearance that makes people feel uncomfortable. Some also blamed the rabbit's giggle as a trigger. Redditors discussing Indian nostalgia on the forum have described the bunny as a "demon rabbit", "creepy" and "straight from hell."
That aside, it can't be denied that the giant rabbit bunny from the papad commercial is one of the greatest ad legacies of India. Despite being on a shoestring budget, Lijjat created for itself a mascot that ensures great brand recall decades after its debut.
Every time we see him on TV, the Lijjat Bunny leaves us jonesing for some crispy papads and tempting us to sing along to "kharram khurram."
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