Does the new Yezdi identity make sense for the woke generation?

The 70s and 80s were an era defined by the angry young men of Bollywood sprinkled with a decent dose of soft-hearted romantics of classic romcoms. Standing on one side of this spectrum were the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna, Jeetendra and on the other were the heartthrobs like Farooq Shaikh. But what all of these had in common were elaborate sequences of them riding the classic Jawa Yezdi bikes, singing melodies to lure the heroines. In fact, Shaikh managed to give Yezdi a pseudonym “Kaali Ghodi” as he sang about it with Deepti Nawal in Chashme Baddoor (1981). Going ahead, the likes of Shah Rukh Khan and Arjun Kapoor also rode the bike in ‘Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa’ and ‘Ishaqzaade’, respectively.

One of the most-loved bikes of that era – and a favourite collector’s item after that, Yezdi ruled the roads as “Forever Bike, Forever Value", the depiction of the macho men of the country. It competed with the likes of Rajdoot – the friendly bike for the boy next door, and Bullet for the burly champions of the roads. With its 250 CC engine, Yezdi was perfect for the charmers, who liked comfort along with style.

The beloved bike is now making a comeback to the market, courtesy of Classic Legends of Mahindra & Mahindra. The introductory campaign for the bike was launched last week, conceptualised by Lintas Live with the tagline “Not For The Saint Hearted”.

The campaign is getting a mixed response from the viewers, some lauding the efforts of the creative team, while others questioning the muscular and insensitive aspects of the ad film.

While the ad world, too, is quite excited about the re-launch of these bikes, the reactions to the campaign are mixed from there as well.

According to an industry veteran, “The 70s and 80s had some problematic ads, even for the Jawa and Yezdi. I distinctly remember the one (for Jawa) where the juxtaposed a woman with the bike supported by an indicative long-form copy. But that era was like that. These days, people do not tolerate narratives like this. While the new tagline ‘not for the saint hearted’ has a certain charm to it, the overall message that the film gives might not sit well with the ‘woke’ generation.”

However, he feels that the bikes will sell despite that because of the nostalgic value and the grip Yezdi once had on the market. 

VMLY&R India ECD Rajshekar Patil, who has been a fan of the Yezdi bikes, agrees, “The line “Not for Saint Hearted” got me interested but I am not sure of the way it was picturized or how the rebel archetype will play out today as it has become a bit stereotyped. The post-Yezdi generation that will buy the bike, is definitely very different from the one that bought an Avenger. It will be interesting to see how they warm up to this positioning. I believe even Harley Davidson has moved away from the long-bearded outlier towards a more authentic rider.”

Enormous Managing Partner Ashish Khazanchi, however, is of a different view, “I really loved the campaign from the word go. The tagline is impressive as well. Yes, society is changing but there always will be some people who like to go against the rules and break them. I don’t think the campaign will be a deterrent to the popularity of the bikes. In fact, it has all the elements to go popular.”

Almond Branding Founder Director Shashwat Das agrees, “With Mahindra backed Classic Legend’s now resurrecting Yezdi, it’s going to redefine the modern classic segment of motorcycles in India. One that’s about off-roading, recreation and fun. The relaunch of such iconic brands is all about bringing alive the Attitude – it’s about keeping the spirit intact. The line “Not for the saint-hearted” perfectly captures the essence. It’s an attitude that the cult of riders will resonate with. The newer bikes will have higher power, will flaunt modern gadgets and LED screens, etc. There might be slight design inspirations from the original Yezdi. Technically, for all you know the new bikes might be nothing like the original ones – however, they will have the same like-minded tribe.”