In the minute-long ad for Russian telecommunications firm MTS, a CGI baby delivers itself, Googles instructions for cutting an umbilical cord (then does it), snaps a selfie, shoots a video, and uploads everything to the internet, all to the tune of Diana Ross' "I'm Coming Out."
Creativeland Asia, the 150-person, Mumbai-based company behind the "Born for the Internet" campaign, says it is now the most-viewed Indian ad of all time. In less than four months online, it's racked up nearly 25 million views. The previous Indian record holder, according to AdWeek, was an emotional public service video for soap and hygiene company Lifebuoy, which had 19 million views.
Sajan Raj Kurup, Founder and Creative Chairman of Creativeland Asia, says the intent was to be provocative.
"We knew it was an outrageous idea," said Kurup. "The internet isn't about niceties. It's a very Darwinian existence. It makes you a lot more ambitious in your endeavors."
Kurup says the ad took six months to create and "took on a life of its own" once it was shared, first seeded as a BitTorrent file available for digital natives to discover and download 15 hours before it was officially published.
The inspiration for the concept was his own children.
"By the time my daughter was one, she already knew the password for my phone and how to swipe through pictures," said Kurup. "I thought, 'My God! If this is how kids are now, imagine what they're going to be like in the future.'"
