“Shilpaya Pihitanna” – RATHNA Exercise Books unveils a powerful & integrated marketing campaign as a tribute to teachers and books

Colombo: RATHNA Exercise Books, the emerging leader in the Sri Lankan exercise books landscape with a deep-rooted history of over 65 years in this domain, has unveiled an emotion triggering-campaign, titled ‘Shilpaya Pihitanna’, literally translating to “be blessed with the aptitude”.

The campaign is built on one of the strongly inculcated value systems in Sri Lanka of venerating one’s books and teachers. Books and teachers play a pivotal role in shaping one’s career, and the company intends to bring the essence of this phenomenon to the minds of today’s schooling generation through its unique debut: a heart-touching music video starring and sung by a celebrated personality of one generation: Dr. Pradeep Rangana and guest-starring by an icon of another generation: Nissanka Diddeniya.

The celebrity singer and songwriter turned Doctor of Medicine, Dr. Pradeep Rangana has been appointed as the Brand Ambassador by RATHNA Exercise Books. Shanil Senarath, Director/Group CEO of PRINTXCEL (PVT) LTD., the manufacturers of RATHNA Exercise Books signed and exchanged the symbolic contracts with Dr. Pradeep Rangana at the commercial launch of the campaign held at the Galle Face Hotel, Colombo recently.

The basis of the 360-degree campaign starts with the music video by Dr. Pradeep Rangana, where he portrays himself taking a trip down memory lane by reminiscing about his childhood years and relates the story of his younger self’s adventurous journey through school. The importance of respecting books – the gateway to education and a key element in creating a better world – by taking good care of them is a continuing theme throughout the video while it also relates the strong bond between students and teachers and how teachers should be respected at all times irrespective of one’s age or social standing.

The mainstream media and digital media will extend into a fully integrated, and a 360-degree widespread campaign revolving and evolving from the basis of the music video, starting with TVCs, radio mileage, press coverage, digital support along with on-ground activations right across Sri Lanka. A strong digital amplification drive has also been planned and will be unveiled in due course.

The book covers spectrum has been fully revamped, in concurrence with the breaking of the campaign, appealing to two different choice-sets: one encompassing and encapsulating the traditional design themes familiar to Sri Lankan culture across eras and centuries, and the other a modern adaptation of abstract art connecting with today’s portrayals of art and thought.

Revealing the roots of the campaign, Nadeesha A. Watawala, DGM – Marketing & Brands of PRINTXCEL stated, “Education most often is misrepresented, limiting to grades and ranks, but it is a wide domain, one that touches upon one’s excellence in a multitude of disciplines: academic, creative, sport and philosophical. Most often than not, it is the teachers who identify these fits and misfits and guide the beacons of the future to seas they’re most capable of sailing across. Our teachers did their part and thanks to them we are not lost. And then there are the books: the one thing we revered the most, next to teachers in our schooldays. This is the sentimental emotion that we need and hope to trigger by this campaign, so that the values of kind sentiments, sharing, selfless consideration, guiding others to success, revering the ones and those that deserve: which is far beyond your average school grades and ranks and that will take you to heights”.

RATHNA Exercise Books is a brand of PRINTXCEL Group, one of the largest printers in the region with presence in both consumer and B2B segments, in both local and foreign markets, and the conglomerate’s founding company is RATHNA POTH PRAKASAKAYO, the 65 years-old celebrated printer who has been instrumental and phenomenal in the upbringing of the school and university curriculums backed by ancillary educational publications by veteran scholars of the country. More details can be obtained via www.promateworld.com.

The creative forces behind the ‘Shilpaya Pihitanna’ campaign are Media Monkey (Pvt) Ltd and Sirra Colombo.