July 30, 2014
Interview with the man behind `Kolkata My City` logo – Anurag Hira
Webteam: How did you come up with the idea of a 'Kaw' for the Kolkata My Citycampaign?
Anurag: Once the simple name – 'Kolkata My City' was cracked, it turned outto be an endearing and encompassing full form for the acronym KMC. The obviousanalogy that first struck me was the by-now-famous 'I Love NY' campaign.
Withthat in mind, and our distinct colour palette of blue and white, the heartseemed to be the most appropriate symbol to play an integral role in the symbolfor Kolkata My City.
Ialso remembered Usha Uthup's trademark 'Kaw' on her big bindi.
Andthat's when the blue heart forming an easy, restful 'Kaw' emerged in my mind.The rest was well, a piece of cake.
Yes,keeping the form simple and to make it a conversation starter or dialogue anddiscussion platform, the laid-back 'Kaw' has an inverted comma to support itsgraphic form.
Web team: Your thoughts on the Clean Cityproject?
Anurag: 'Modern Scientific Waste Compactor Station' is not only a mouthful,but required an easier consumer-friendly nomenclature to make our citizensaware of the end objective of KMC investing behind these compactor stations.
'CleanCity' aspires to communicate the key consumer benefit behind this initiative,and we hope will go a long way to serve as a shining property that encouragesall of us to keep our surroundings clean and litter-free.
Anurag Hira
Web team: Your views on a community drivencampaign for change and how you can be a part of it?
Anurag: All of us must, as citizens, doour bit to change anything for the better, rather than be passivelynon-participative and yet actively grumble about anything and everything. It'sall so easy to blame the government for everything without even attempting toask oneself, “What can I do that will make a difference?”
Iwould, inasmuch as I too am busy, do anything small that makes a bigdifference. And there isn't anything better than making a community-drivencampaign one of our several things to do, professionally.
Web team: How would you like to see Kolkatagrow?
Anurag: Kolkata, I feel isconstantly being questioned. Why arethings like this? Why isn't there change for the better? Why must we stillsuffer?
To alarge extent, I feel the media that we consume is also playing this daily gameof influencing our very thinking by focussing more on the weaknesses andthreats rather than the strengths and the opportunities.
Thebest way for Kolkata to grow is to be oblivious of the negatives, work hard andpush people around to work harder, and keep doing what we set out to do betterand better with every passing day.
WhileI may sound Vivekananda'ish in my sermonising, I also believe that businesshouses need to push our government for speedy development and quicker turnaroundtime. The key lies in professionalising every interface of the process toachieve results.
Webteam: If you were given charge of it, how would you go about branding Kolkatafor a global audience?
Anurag: Firstly, this is a daunting supposition for someone like me. Andsecondly, I don't have a white paper or blueprint on this one!
