Tata Gluco+ — 'Hidden Temple' Film (The Churning)

Brief

Tata Consumer Products, following the success of Tata Gluco Jelly’s launch campaign, needed a film for Tata Gluco+ that would stand out in the crowded energy drink category. The creative concept, developed by Wunderman Thompson, Delhi, was ambitious and satirical: a boat tour selling the impossible — the discovery of a hidden temple beneath the ocean.

The challenge was tonal. A concept this big — churning oceans, sunken temples, a satirical tour gone sideways — could easily tip into slapstick. The brief was to hold the comedy in the premise and the punchline, not in mugging performances or broad gags.

Our Concept & Approach

Avakkai Studio reimagined the ancient myth of Samudra Manthan — the churning of the ocean by gods and demons — as a self-aware, satirical advertising comedy. The film is built as a tall tale, deliberately knowing, so the payoff lands as a wink rather than a lecture.

The Core Idea: A satirical boat tour selling something no tour should be able to deliver. The boat conks off mid-promise. Enter the surfers: they down Tata Gluco+, paddle out, and physically churn the ocean into waves powerful enough to bring the temple up from the deep. Myth, tourism-spoof, and product energy, all folded into one fantasy.

Production Highlights:

• Real Location: Shot on Pondicherry’s coastline, grounding the fantasy in a believable, tangible reality
• Practical Base: A real location, real surf team, and real ocean did the grounding before VFX did the lifting
• Boat Redesign: A 100-passenger boat was redesigned and repurposed as a set, carrying the cast and creating the film’s primary location
• International Talent: An international surf team brought authenticity and athleticism to the churning sequences
• VFX by Poland: The temple rising and the ocean churning were elevated by a Polish VFX studio, ensuring the fantasy felt cinematic, not cartoonish
• Tonal Discipline: The surfers played it straight — the absurdity did the work on its own

Credits

Client: Tata Consumer Products — Tata Gluco+ Production House: Avakkai Studio Creative Agency: Wunderman Thompson, Delhi Format: TVC & social media Location: Pondicherry (real location) Talent: International surf team VFX: Poland Set: 100-passenger boat redesigned for production

Outcome & Results

The campaign delivered exceptional creative impact, proving that big ideas and disciplined execution create memorable advertising:

• Myth Reimagined: The film repurposed the Samudra Manthan myth as a punchline, making it culturally resonant while remaining fresh and surprising for modern audiences

• Perfect Tonal Balance: By holding the comedy in the premise and punchline rather than broad performances, the film avoided slapstick — landing as clever, self-aware satire

• Production Excellence: The integration of real locations, international talent, practical stunts, and international VFX created a seamless fantasy world that felt believable enough to be funny, not cartoonish

• Earned the Punchline: The entire film was built to deliver the payoff: “This story has a lot of gas, but Tata Gluco+ is Gas Minus, Energy Plus.” The tale is deliberately, knowingly tall, so the punchline lands as a wink rather than a lecture

• Visual Spectacle: The combination of Pondicherry’s coastline, a redesigned 100-passenger boat, an international surf team, and Polish VFX created a cinematic experience that elevated the brand’s advertising standards

• Brand Positioning: Tata Gluco+ was positioned as the energy drink that can power the impossible — even churning the ocean itself