'Degree' takes up the center space in upGrad's  latest commercial

Online education company, upgrade has announced the launch of its latest mass media campaign titled 'Sirf Naam Ki Nahin, Kaam Ki Degree'. The TV commercial features a donkey that depicts that according to the cultural insight in the corporate world, everyone wants to climb the ladder and choose various ways to get ahead of everybody else.

The commercial was shot in Estonia, the humorous film has been developed by the creative agency named The Womb and has been directed by Shashanka Chaturvedi of Good Morning Films.

Arjun Mohan who is a chief executive officer- India, upGrad, said the word ‘degree’ has been chosen after giving it a long thought. it is already that the concept of a degree holds emotional and practical heft across all socio-economic classes, especially In India. The officer stated in talks to an online website.

The massive rush towards upskilling triggered the campaign as companies rationalize their workforce.

The choices of upskilling are nowadays available a dime a dozen, the conflict occurs when they tend to be generic, outdated and from not so credible institutions. This makes them entirely invaluable by employers. "It was therefore imperative for us to draw on our strengths to displace the other education players and create a point of differentiation that cannot be contested. Thus, was born ‘Sirf Naam ki nahin, kaam ki degree’," explained Mohan.

The brand's previous campaigns were ‘Raho Ambitious’ and ‘Aage ki Soch’ That mirrored the sentiments of working professionals. "With the changing times, we realize that they are no longer lacking ambition and drive. What they lack is a means to achieve and materialize them. Hence, a brand only claiming to fuel ambition will not serve a definite purpose in their lives, because it isn’t providing a solution that they urgently need now," explained Mohan.

The campaign targets working serious professionals. Mohan said that "We don’t provide short-term like 2-3 week courses, because let’s face it – neither Rome nor data scientists were built in a day."

The campaign idea is also tapping at the subconsciousness of working professionals and necessitates the need to have a specialized ‘degree’.

The company earlier this year in February launched a TVC commercial that featured Vicky Kaushal, the main aim of the advertisement is to break the myths regarding the effectiveness of online education.

On the launch of the new ad campaign, Mr. Ronnie Screwvala & Mr. Mayank Kumar, co-founders, upGrad said that “Through this campaign, we are trying to create awareness on how upGrad can help learners prepare for the future of work and help them thrive in their career. Online education for professionals is still at a nascent stage in India and to create awareness at a category level, we felt the necessity of a commercial that will change the consumer mindset and is relatable. Our association with Vicky Kaushal and the new TVC will help us increase our reach & create deeper connections across geographies”.

Sagar Kapoor who is the Chief Creative Officer, Lowe Lintas added that “It was an excellent briefing session by the founders that led our creative thinking at upGrad. The vibe was positive and the brief spoke about what upGrad can do to lives rather than just what upGrad is and how continuous learning can make sure one keeps navigating his or her career forward. Inspiring stories of how lakhs have already done this successfully spurred us further. All that said the team believed in keeping the message and tone of the communication sprightly and involving. Hence the idea of “life ko Karo lift”

The strategy of the company is made very clear with its advertisements.