The Nobel Laureate Rabindranath featured in over 100 advertisements,
promoting ghee to face creams to harmoniums.
The advertisements appeared mostly in magazines and
journals such as Probasi, Basumati, Calcutta Municipal Gazette, Bhandar,
Shonibarer Chithi, Sadhana, Tattvabodhini Patrika, etc., and in the newspapers
Anandabazar Patrika, Amritabazar Patrika, The Statesman and Advance.
Almost all the companies or products that the
creator of "Gitanajali" endorsed were by indigenous companies who
struggled to compete with foreign or established brands. He considered it his
duty to support the Swadeshi enterprises. It was his nationalist agenda. The
ads covered a wide variety of products, including books, stationery, medicines,
cosmetics, food products and musical instruments.
Arunkumar Roy, who is researching Tagore in
advertisements, says that going through publications between 1889 and 1941, the
year of Tagore’s death, he came across about 90 such advertisements. The poet
is estimated to have featured in more than a hundred advertisements.
Endorsing Radium Snow cream,
Tagore wrote that those who use beauty products like snow, cream and perfumery
products will find it as good as the foreign ones. The company no more exists now.
He promoted Sri Ghrita, one
Bengali institution that still survives.
He used and also
appreciated Jalajoga, sweetmeat and curd (dadhi).
Another one of them was
Dwarkin & Son - one of the oldest companies in India and credited with
inventing the Indian harmonium.
Tagore had also endorsed
Napier’s Paint Works.
Senola Records, paper
merchants Bholanath Dutt & Sons Ltd also used his name and fame.
His name and fame was used
by individuals like Amar Krishna Ghosh, as well who contested the local board
election of the Reserve Bank in 1935, came up with ads containing Tagore's
blessings.
He also had endorsed
insurance companies including the Hindusthan Co-Operative Insurance Society
Limited floated by his own family in 1919.
The Western World thought
it was impossible to substitute animal fat, in the soap-making process. But
Ardeshir Godrej seized the opportunity and in 1919, launched the world’s first
pure-vegetarian soap, made from vegetable oil extracts. The brand was called
Chavi. The Godrej soap ad featuring Tagore's photograph appeared in a host of
newspapers across the country.
In spite of his nationalist
agenda Tagore, however, did appear in an ad of Bournvita - a chocolate beverage
manufactured by British multinational Cadbury
Honda CB300F Flex-Fuel
Honda Activa 7G
Honda CRF300L
Honda CRF300 Rally
Honda Activa Electric
Honda CB750 Hornet
Honda CBR300R
Honda CB500F
Honda CB1000R
Honda PCX 125
Honda CBR500R
