The baby who became the face of KSRTC’s Airavat Club Class buses

A KSRTC official said that the first Airavat Club Class bus featuring the branding, bearing registration number KA-01-F-9133, operated on the Bengaluru–Tirupati route on November 25, 2010. | Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR K

A sleeping baby, a stroller and a simple idea that turned a luxury bus into a moving advertisement. Nearly two decades after it was created, the image of a baby sleeping peacefully in a stroller on the side of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation’s (KSRTC) Airavat Club Class buses continues to capture the attention of commuters.

For Bengaluru-based commercial photographer Senthil Kumar Muruganandhan, who shot the photograph, the enduring popularity of the image is a pleasant surprise. A recent video he casually recorded of a bus carrying the familiar branding has received nearly four lakh views on Instagram, bringing renewed attention to a campaign that has remained relevant long after its creation.

“I always feel proud when I see it. Some images continue to work for years,” Mr. Senthil told The Hindu. The campaign, created by advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather, featured the slogan ‘Sleep like a baby with multi-axle comfort’. The idea was to communicate the comfort of KSRTC’s luxury buses through a visual.

Mr. Senthil recalls that the agency approached him because of his experience photographing babies for various brands. “The basic thought was how to advertise on a bus itself instead of using a static billboard,” he said.

For Bengaluru-based commercial photographer Senthil Kumar Muruganandhan, who shot the photograph, the enduring popularity of the image is a pleasant surprise. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Waiting for the baby to sleep