The third last letter of the Bengali alphabet is the emblem and “Shobar Bangla” the catchline in the brand blueprint for the state unveiled by Wally Olins’s Saffron Brand Consultants on Monday.

The company submitted its final report on Brand Bengal to finance minister Asim Dasgupta in the afternoon after four months of surveys, fieldwork, meetings and workshops.

Charged with the task of making the state more visible and relevant on a global platform, Saffron has zeroed in on the brand idea, ‘Shobar Bangla’ or ‘Everyone’s Bengal’, which also serves as the catchline of the campaign.

“Bengal, unlike most states, has never been fragmented. Bengalis. Jews, Marwaris, Muslims, Armenians all live here together. Therefore Shobar Bangla sums up that unique character of Bengal,” said Avik Chattopadhyay, the CEO of Saffron India. Olins, who is branding London for the 2012 Olympics, is the global head of the company.

The chosen emblem is unoshwar (a slanting line with a small circular ring above it), representing new or modern Bengal. “We wanted something symbolic, graphic and easy for people within the state to relate to and for those outside to appreciate even if they don’t understand the language,” added Chattopadhyay.

The letter, which features in the slogan Shobar Bangla, has been used to represent various aspects of Bengal visually. For example, the ring in the letter morphs into a football or a sandesh to portray Bengali icons, frames the new rupee sign to indicate business dealings or is replaced by a hand playing the dotara to represent folk arts.

“The symbol is not rigid. People from any sector can embrace it while maintaining its sanctity. It’s a way of telling people through a symbol how rich and varied the state is,” said Chattopadhyay. “Choosing a letter towards the end of the Bengali alphabet is also symbolic of bringing the marginalised to the fore and being accepted by society.”

The colour palette of the campaign will be restricted to earthy shades like brown, beige, green, red and blue, with a vegetable dye-like texture. The Saffron plan does not envisage a brand ambassador for the state. “There are too many achievers from the state and to pick one would go against the Bengali ethos. A series of initiatives and activities will endorse and drive Brand Bengal,” said Chattopadhyay.

Six primary target groups have been picked for the campaign — investors/businesses, residents, government and leadership, artistes and sportsmen, students/youth and tourists — and distinct approaches and strategies devised for each.

Anurag Hira, the former creative head of Bates 141, described the blueprint as “very robust to make Team Red look good” and said it had “the potential to woo the masses”. However “this campaign might not resonate with the classes. I don’t see anything new that gives the classes any reassurance of the changing times for Bengal and the positivity that this initiative should be infusing”.

Another top advertising professional who did not want to be named was as apprehensive as Hira. “With change imminent at Writers’ Buildings, I hope the campaign and all the hard work do not go down the drain. I can almost hear Mamata Banerjee saying ‘Shobar Bangla keno? Eta toh Aamader Bangla! (Why should Bengal belong to everyone? It is ours!)’”

The submission of the brand idea, slogan, symbol and strategies marks the completion of Phase I.

The ideas will be implemented in Phase II. Special secretary Niloy Ghosh said: “We’re targeting end-January to begin implementation but I am not sure that we will be able to meet the deadline. We will have to meet the departmental secretaries because each department will have to form small committees to implement the plans.”

Saffron has devised tasks to be implemented by the key players. The initiatives for investors include building a comprehensive website on self-help groups and a business networking site for small and medium enterprises.

While each initiative will bear the Shobar Bangla stamp, a “Made in Bengal” mark has been designed for products that are unique to the state. Here the ring in the emblem will transform into a heart.

The activities suggested include a cultural heritage festival spanning Santiniketan, Murshidabad and China Town. The prescription to boost tourism involves an assortment of treks — tea, jute, literature, theatre and agricultural trails.

The state administration is expected to use text messages, emails and websites to communicate with people as part of the campaign.

To log into the youth, the Brand Bengal campaign will roll out ‘Forum 33’, a social networking site “with a more serious attitude, aimed at bringing together young minds from Bengal”.

“The Calcutta STD code is 33. Youngsters are free to blog and voice their opinions, either individually or collectively, on anything from politics and business to education and culture,” said Chattopadhyay.

What does brand Bengal mean to you? Tell ttmetro@abpmail.com