The Art Of Parody

Manu Bhaker – the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in shooting - is among India's newest role models and sports celebrities. But as congratulatory messages poured in, she simultaneously sent legal warnings to brands using her image without her permission to bask in reflected glory. In contrast to the typical advertising copy stood Indian dairy superbrand Amul's advertisement, as usual employing words with a clever twist to congratulate Bhaker on her achievement, and tying it to the brand's own ethos of market leadership and dominance.

The copy read: 'MANUkammna poori hui. AMUL Aim for it.' 'MANUkaamna', incorporating the name Manu, is a twist on the Hindi word 'manokaamna' which means 'the heart's desire'. 'Aim for it' refers to Bhaker's sport of choice – shooting. So the message translates to 'The heart's desire is achieved. AMUL Aim for it'. This is a stellar example of a 'parody' – use of another's intellectual property (IP) – in this case the name Manu