In India, the Tulsi plant, also called Holy Basil, is revered for its healing and medicinal properties. Known as the “queen of herbs,” the Tulsi plant is commonly found in traditional Hindu households and worshipped daily by the women of the house.

Planting Tulsi seeds as part of the kitchen garden is a simple way to do something good for the environment, and Maharashtra Times wanted to share this simple message with its readers.

The simple act of planting, watering, and watching seeds grow can be very uplifting and healing. Maharashtra Times wanted to spread this thought amongst its readers during the dark days of COVID-19.

Our objective was to engage with Marathi readers in a plantation movement leveraging the topicality of World Environment Day combined with the traditional cultural reverence for the Tulsi — on the back of a strong production set-up to deliver cutting-edge innovations.

Spreading seeds

In a one-of-its-kind innovation on June 5, 2021, Maharashtra Times in Mumbai distributed Tulsi seeds embedded in a perforated bookmark in the newspaper, along with a full-page advertising feature. All readers had to do was tear away the bookmark with the Tulsi seeds pasted inside, plant it in the soil, water it, and nurture their Tulsi plant to life.

The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, a department within the Ministry of Environment and Forests in the Maharashtra State Government, came on board as a sponsor as they saw a strong and direct fit with World Environment Day.

This innovation reached over 200,000 Maharashtra Times reader households in Mumbai and was highly appreciated by readers who shared positive messages with us, including pictures and videos of themselves planting the seeds. Delighted readers also shared images of the seeds germinating into plants.

Through this innovation, we at Maharashtra Times were yet again able to showcase our brand strength and production prowess in bringing to our readers and advertisers clutter-breaking innovations.

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