Billboards & OOH · India · 1966
Amul: The Amul Girl Topicals
For decades, Amul has commented on the week’s news through hand-drawn hoardings starring a girl in a polka-dot dress.
By Maer Media editorial teamPublished 4 October 20263 min readdaCunha CommunicationsCampaigns · Content & Social · Branding
- Brand
- Amul
- Market
- India
- Year
- 1966
- Category
- Billboards & OOH
- Agency or team
- daCunha Communications
- Channels
- Hoardings, print, social
The context
Amul butter needed to stay top of mind in a category with little to say about itself.
Topical humour keeps a brand in everyday conversation.
The move
Created with Sylvester daCunha’s agency, the Amul girl appears in witty topical cartoons about cricket, politics, film and current events, with punning lines that end in butter.
How it was executed
- Created weekly topical cartoons.
- Used puns linking the news to butter.
- Kept the Amul girl as a constant character.
For decades, Amul has commented on the week’s news through hand-drawn hoardings starring a girl in a polka-dot dress.
What happened Reported facts
The topicals are among the world’s longest-running ad campaigns and have made Amul one of India’s most loved brands.
Why it worked Maer’s analysis
A fixed character allowed endless fresh content, keeping the brand current for decades.
What to take from it Maer’s analysis
- 01Consistency of format allows freedom of content.
- 02Topicality keeps a brand in conversation.
- 03Wit travels across age groups.
Indian brands can build topical formats, with a clear line on respectful tone.
Where Maer applies this
The same thinking runs through these brand templates:
Sources: Amul; daCunha Communications. Figures are as publicly reported; Maer Media was not involved in this work and is not affiliated with Amul.
The Maer Media editorial team studies how brands are built, from positioning and packaging to launches and growth. Figures in each case study come from the public sources listed above; the analysis and the India notes are our own. More about Maer
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