Khayaal Aapka: photographing a promise of care

Read the campaign story

In 2012 ICICI Bank invited Facebook participants to submit original photographs expressing its Khayaal Aapka theme. Exchange4 media reported that BrandAppZ designed the contest and that a jury judged the entries. The activity translated a verbal promise of care into a visual participation brief. It was a specific social activation, not the origin of the bank’s broader positioning.

Business Standard’s contemporary coverage provides context for that positioning through a separate savings-rewards advertisement. Its report described the same care-oriented thought being used to explain a banking programme. The two sources therefore play different roles: one documents the photography contest, while the other confirms the wider brand context. They are not two independent measurements of the contest’s performance, and the rewards advertisement is not being counted as another case here.

The editorial interpretation is that a well-defined participation prompt can make an abstract brand value concrete. Asking people to show care gives them a creative task that is related to the organisation’s stated idea, rather than inviting any amusing picture merely to fill a feed. The constraint helps an editor judge relevance. It also raises questions about whose interpretation of care is recognised and whether participants understand how their images will be used.

A small organisation could test a similar prompt with a private, voluntary gallery before running a public competition. Explain the theme, eligibility, selection criteria and image-use permissions in plain language. Avoid requesting photographs that reveal financial information, private documents or people who have not consented. A text alternative can make the activity more accessible to people who do not want to upload a photograph or lack suitable equipment.

The useful evaluation is not simply how many entries arrive. Review whether participants understood the theme, whether the selected work reflects a range of experiences and whether the process handled permissions fairly. For a bank, an engagement contest must also remain clearly separate from account access and service promises. This case documents a branded creative invitation; it does not show improved financial wellbeing, superior customer care or a measurable increase in account use caused by the contest.

Constrain the prompt

Ask for a specific interpretation of the brand idea rather than unrelated engagement.

Explain selection

Publish understandable judging criteria before accepting submissions.

Minimise personal exposure

Offer a text alternative and exclude private financial information or unconsented faces.

A small test for another brief

Run a private opt-in gallery interpreting one organisational value.

Theme comprehension, relevant submissions and consent completeness.

Stop if participants submit sensitive data or permissions cannot be verified.

• Write the prompt, judging criteria and narrow image-use terms.
• Accept photographs or text without sensitive personal details.
• Review relevance, accessibility and permission handling before any public display.