我好奇故我在

<source: October 2, 2009 Business Week 自由時報>

German luxury penmaker Montblanc International GMBH launched a limited-edition commemorative fountain pen in honor of Gandhi this week, just in time for the 140th anniversary of the birth of the Mahatma -- or "Great Soul" -- on Friday.

The price? 17,000 euros ($24,763).

德國精品鋼筆公司萬寶龍最近推出了一款限量版紀念鋼筆，以慶祝甘地誕生140年。
價錢呢？1萬7000歐元。

Just 241 commemorative fountain pens will be sold-a nod to the number of miles Gandhi walked in his famous 1930 "salt march," a mass protest against salt taxes levied by the British that dealt an early blow to their control over the subcontinent.

只有241隻紀念鋼筆會售出，這是為了向甘地在1930年代著名的「食鹽長征」致意，甘地當時走了241英里的路，發起大規模示威，以抗議英國政府徵收食鹽稅，甘地此舉對英國在印度次大陸的控制帶來初步打擊。

所以算來利潤為 $24,763 * 241 = 5,967,883
其實，萬寶龍有捐錢：$145,666 + ($210*241) = 196,276 (佔總利潤的3%)

On Tuesday, Montblanc chief executive Lutz Bethge handed over a check for 100,000 euros ($145,666) to Gandhi's great grandson, Tushar Gandhi, for his foundation.

The foundation will get an additional 10,000 to 50,000 rupees ($210 to $1,050) for each pen sold, Goessler said.

那印度行銷人怎樣看此事呢？

<source: http://adformula.blogspot.com/2009/10/mont-blanc-new-gandhian.html>

甘地跟萬寶龍是兩個不同的價值觀，前者提倡儉樸生活，後者是奢侈品。他認為適合的廣告主應該是John Walker -- keep walking，來紀念甘地的「食鹽長征」。讚！

那萬寶龍怎會做出這個行銷決定的呢？

因為在印度市場，要溝通此品牌的珍貴歷史資產，每一隻萬寶龍的筆背後都有一個故事，象徵the power to write your own destiny，值得典藏，可以父傳子代代相傳。這支brand image TVC是沒有提到甘地，比較沒有爭議，此campaign用了TVC、平面以及戶外。

以推出甘地限量紀念筆作一個公關操作，思維也很容易推。在印度，誰的故事最傳奇？最有力量？最具歷史代表性？不就是甘地。印度稱呼甘地為爸爸，發音為bāpu，嗯，像小時候那個賣冰淇淋的「叭噗」。我是聽youtube 印度新聞發現的。

Montblanc continues with its ‘write destiny’ in its first ever TV campaign
September 23, 09

Montblanc, known for generations as a manufacturer of sophisticated and luxurious writing instruments, has launched its first ever television commercial in India. The TVC is breaking across channels on September 23, 2009.

Narrating the story of Monblanc’s legacy and heritage is actor Anil Kapoor, who is endorsing a brand for the first time. The popular Bollywood actor, who also got much international acclaim for his role in Oscar-winner ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, will be seen in a TVC for the first time. Supporting him in the TVC is his daughter, actress Sonam Kapoor.

TVC: Anil & Sonam Kapoor's Mont Blanc Advertisement
slogan: Mont Blanc -- a story to tell