Taj Mahal Tea built a santoor the rain plays to celebrate monsoon

Taj Mahal Tea had spent four decades linking itself to Indian classical music, but its marquee market of Vijayawada was stagnating. Ogilvy India's answer combined the brand's two cultural anchors: monsoon tea-drinking and the classical raag that celebrates rain.

Megh Santoor made the rain the artist. Each mallet of the giant santoor carried a rainwater container; as rain filled it, the mallet lifted, the water drained out, and the mallet fell to strike the strings. The varying intensity of the rain created a new rendition of Raag Megh Malhar every time it rained.

Placed at the busy Vijayawada Railway Station from August to October, the billboard performed for thousands of commuters while they sipped hot tea — turning a seasonal ritual into a live concert and the station itself into the venue.