It is not all gloom and doom for Congress leaders. Pre-eminent Gandhi family loyalist Mani Shankar Aiyar has been approached to be become the brand ambassador for premier Tea brand, Taj Mahal. Industry watchers contend that if Aiyar’s seemingly disparaging remarks about Modi selling tea at the Congress convention could have catapulted Modi to the nation’s top job, then it can do similar wonders for tea consumption also.
In the new ads, Mani, in what is a message to the youth of the country, will say, “In the 21st century, you will not become the PM, not become the PM, NOT BECOME THE PM,” the vehemence increasing exponentially as he repeats the phrase. “But haan, if you want to sell tea and become a chaiwallah, I can arrange for that.”
He will then sip a cup of Taj Tea and go, “aaah…wah Taj, wah”, the cussedness on his face being replaced by bliss and contentment.
Shedding more light on signing Mani, Don Sebastian, Taj Tea Vice President for Marketing, said, “We expect the youth, in disgust, to take to drinking tea in large numbers after we release the Mani ad. It could become the ultimate symbol of rebellion while also reinforcing the subliminal notion that it is uber-cool to be a chailwallah. We are very excited about what Mani can do for our brand and the culture of sipping tea.”
Mani has also been sounded out by the Modi government to head the Tea Board of India and boost the sector. “The combination of Mani and Modi has done wonders for the image of workers in the tea industry. So Prime Minister Modi personally insisted that we appoint Mani to the prestigious post and give him carte blanche freedom to say what he feels like to which PM Modi’s capable PR team will craft an appropriate response in a manner that benefits the sector,” an excited Tea Board official told The UnReal Times.