MAM
Fastrack asks people to Shut The Fake Up
MUMBAI: Long before people knew what cool was, there was Fastrack! Customary and conventional, are words you would never find in Fastrack’s vocabulary. Known to break stereotypes, in its new campaign, Fastrack yet again bears the flag of defiant thought for the youth and by default, the future.
Do you know someone who puts up a filter for the sake of it? Someone who uses a hashtag not knowing what it stands for or goes to parties just to be socially relevant? Do you laugh at things you don’t find funny or do you spend too much time in front of the mirror at the gym than the weights? Fastrack has four real words for you-Shut the Fake Up!
Brought to life in the film by Happy McGarrybowen, Fastrack urges this very philosophy. With this campaign Fastrack challenges the norms and carves a pathway for millennials. Be it being big and beautiful, being online or offline, or simply being different and unique in your own way. It’s all about being real – online and off it.
Titan chief marketing officer Suparna Mitra says, “Following our tradition of being in tune with the language of the youth, this campaign fits in, seamlessly. Fastrack has always spoken the language of the you.th and this TVC is no exception. Set in a relevant background, the film represents many quintessential elements to today’s youngster; from a simple chat, to actually meeting the person. The TVC borrows from the archetypal ‘boy meets girl’ narrative and showcases two versions of your life – with and without Fastrack.”
Fastrack head of marketing Ayushman Chiranewala adds, “Fastrack being a young brand has always been the candid voice for the millennial generation. The brand has always stayed true to being unapologetic and bold in its communication. The new ‘Shut the Fake Up’ campaign is testament to the brand’s longstanding philosophy of being true to yourself and breaking status quo. As part of the larger campaign, the brand looks to ignite amongst its audience the thought of living their lives on their own accord, and we at Fastrack celebrate this individuality.”
Today’s youth have everything that the world has to offer. From Facebook to Twitter and Snapchat to Instagram, there is nothing too obscure for this generation. “Shut the Fake Up” is Fastrack’s appeal to its audience to break free from the social façade. Narrated at breakneck pace, the commercial holds up a mirror to present-day behavior on Social Media that glorifies putting on a show for adulation. Taking pictures of food, or dressing up for the attention – a tireless display of oneself online, to fake an identity online that barely matches one’s real-world self. A story told in two parts, it contrasts two ways of approaching courtship. One by hiding behind the facade of Social Media currency and the other though sheer, honest self-expression.
Happy Mcgarrybowen CEO Kartik Iyer mentions, “The common thread we found was that the youth today are less and less afraid of baring themselves and showing who they truly are. We thought this was a great point of view for Fastrack to stand up and own.”
The campaign is being run on television along with extensive engagements on social media. Lowe Lintas, Bangalore continues to manage the brand’s creative duties.
Brands
Uidai partners with Google to help users locate Aadhaar centres
Verified Aadhaar centres to appear on Maps with services and access info
MUMBAI: Finding an Aadhaar centre may soon be as easy as finding your favourite café. In a move aimed at making public services more accessible, the Unique Identification Authority of India has partnered with Google to display authorised Aadhaar centres on Google Maps. The feature, expected to roll out in the coming months, will allow residents to locate verified centres quickly and confidently.
More than 60,000 Aadhaar centres, including state of the art Aadhaar Seva Kendras, will be mapped. When users search on Google Maps, they will be directed to authorised facilities rather than unverified listings, helping curb misinformation and confusion.
The listings will do more than drop a pin. Users will be able to see the nature of services offered at each centre, whether it is adult enrolment, child enrolment, or limited to address and mobile number updates. Details such as operating hours, parking availability and divyang friendly infrastructure will also be shown wherever applicable.
Uidai CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar, said the collaboration is part of the authority’s continued effort to improve ease of living for Aadhaar holders by making authorised centres simpler and faster to navigate.
The partnership will deepen in its next phase, with Uidai using Google Business Profile to manage information and respond directly to public feedback. Looking ahead, the two organisations are also exploring the option of enabling appointment bookings through the Google Maps interface, potentially allowing residents to plan their visits with greater efficiency.
Google India country head, strategic partnerships Roli Agarwal, said integrating verified Aadhaar centres would help millions access trusted services with confidence, bringing essential government infrastructure closer to the people who need it most.
If all goes to plan, a routine Aadhaar update may soon begin not with a queue, but with a search bar.
