WhatsApp scales rural India activation to make messaging inclusive for non-texters

New Delhi: WhatsApp has rolled out the second phase of its rural India campaign aimed at making messaging more inclusive for people with limited access to texting, by positioning Voice Notes and Video Notes as alternatives to typed messages and even calls.

The campaign builds on WhatsApp’s stated intent of helping people “share their real selves” in safe and private spaces, and extends the work beyond its short film ‘Baatan Hi Baatan Mein’.

Also read: WhatsApp and Fundamental use long-form storytelling to push Voice Notes in rural India

Conceptualised and designed by Fundamental and executed on-ground by TriOOH, Superlative Films and Spark Foundry, the new phase uses hyper-local, contextual formats to reach audiences in ways designed to feel familiar and intuitive.

A key element of the rollout is the introduction of “No-Text User Guides”, featuring step-by-step visual instructions for audiences that may not be able to read or write. The guides have been painted and printed on native surfaces, including trucks, gunny bags and walls, intended to blend organically into everyday rural settings.

WhatsApp said the artwork was developed in collaboration with traditional artists to maintain cultural and visual authenticity. The gunny bags were produced at scale through screen printing by specialised artisans. A team of over 30 painters, many from Madhya Pradesh, was led by Nafees Ahmad Khan and Ashok Kumar (Sagar), both known for their work in truck art.

Alongside this, Baatan Hi Baatan Mein is being screened in rural single-screen theatres across Madhya Pradesh and taken directly to communities through screening vans branded as “Ghumakkad Talkies”. 

The travelling cinema format is being used to create communal viewing experiences in low-access locations, with the initiative targeting reach across more than 240 villages and hamlets in Vidisha district.

Credits: 

Agency: Fundamental

CCO: Pallavi Chakravarti

CEO: Nishant Saurabh

CSO: Anand Murty

ECD: Neeraj Kanitkar

Sr. Creative Director: Gauri Burma

ACD (Design): Jyoti Patil

Group Head (Design): Pradnya Shirke

Junior Copywriter: Shivika Maheshwari

Account Management Lead (Consulting): Neha Khaneja

Account Director: Lyncia Noronha

Associate Account Director: Bhavi Gala

Studio Lead: Selva Nadar

Production House: Superlative Films

Director: Anchit Thukral

Producer: Monisha Thyagarajan