What it had to solve
The first work from McCann India after winning Air India, launching the airline's new brand identity to an international audience amid a sweeping transformation.
The idea
Reimagine the jharoka arch of Air India's aircraft windows as a golden talisman a little girl discovers — a portal showing the future's boundless possibilities
How it works
A film titled 'Talisman', directed by Arun Gopalan, blends emotion, innocence and magical realism around the girl's discovery; Prasoon Joshi pushed for human connection over a plain identity reveal.
What it did
The film launched Air India's new brand identity; no results figures reported.
Background
On 22 August 2023 LBB reported the launch of 'Talisman', McCann India's first work for Air India, created with director Arun Gopalan to unveil the airline's new brand identity as part of the massive transformation under way in its ambition to become a world-class brand.
The film's central device reimagines the iconic jharoka — the arch that was part of Air India aircraft windows — as a golden talisman symbolising a 'Window of Possibilities'. The story follows a little girl's discovery of this magical object, a portal to the future showing boundless possibilities, blending emotion, innocence and magical realism for an international audience.
Prasoon Joshi, chief creative officer of McCann Worldgroup India, said the film would stay close to his heart: the unique storytelling challenge demanded a human connect rather than just revealing the brand identity, drawing viewers into an innocent, charming world of imagery that gently brings the window-of-opportunities concept alive.
Why it lands
The jharoka is a real artefact of the airline's past, so the new identity grows out of heritage instead of erasing it.
A child's eyes make an airline's transformation feel like possibility rather than corporate messaging.
Magical realism carries a rebrand to international audiences without a single feature-benefit claim.
Making the window — the seat every flyer stares out of — the symbol ties the brand idea to the flight itself.
What you can take
A heritage brand with a real motif doesn't need a logo reveal — it needs one object that carries the whole story.
Since then
The film launched Air India's new brand identity from August 2023. No results figures are reported.
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