Says a spokesperson from HLL: ``Our objective is to take the message ofhealth to the rural folks across the country. And as Lifebuoy has been thechampion of good health or tandurusti for 100 years in India, sponsoring theLifeline Express is one more positive effort by Lifebuoy to reach out tomillions of people.''

Targeted at the rural males, the brand today enjoys a 25 per cent marketshare in the Indian toilet soap markets. ``For millions of Indians, here's aproduct that they trust to safe-guard their health. So Lifebuoy is the idealtool to spread the message of good health,'' adds the spokesperson.

According to HLL spokesperson, it's for the first time that a FMCG major issponsoring a multi-crore project such as this. Under the sponsorship of HLL,the Express will offer the best medical treatments to those who have neverbeen to a proper hospital. For six weeks, the train will treat patientssuffering from polio, cataract, deafness and cleft palates.``After thecompletion of six weeks, we are also looking at long term association withthe Express,'' adds the HLL spokesperson.

Prior to the arrival of the Express, HLL had begun its ground operationsalmost two months ago. ``As a first step, we went to the nearby villages infour talukas to announce our new project. We screened around 21,000 peopleand selected 14,000 people for medical treatment,''informs thespokesperson.

In a bid to create awareness for the Express, HLL has also launched amulti-media campaign that includes a series of press advertisements andTVCs. Created by Lintas India Limited, the ad campaign also includesbanners, hoardings and station panels. Says Usha Bhandarkar, nationalcreative director, Lintas: ``We launched the first TVC on DD1 yesterday. Theannouncement ads will be followed by an awareness campaign which will dealwith the various medical facilities that are available in the train.'' Inkeeping with the brand image, communication for the Lifebuoy LifelineExpress is simple and visually strong. ``The message is simple in ourcommunications-Lifebuoy brings Lifeline Express to you. In a bid to woo therural folks, we have adopted an emotional approach in our communications,''adds Bhandarkar.

``Tandurusti ke safar mein apka sachha humsafar-Lifebuoy'' reads the taglineof the ad campaign which was recently launched to announce the arrival ofthe Express in Bishrampur.

It was in July, 1991 that Impact India Foundation had launched the LifelineExpress in India. And today the foundation has completed over 42 healthprojects in 13 states across the country. ``Our aim is to help poor needypeople in remote villages and towns in India. Big corporates like Voltas hassponsored our express in the last eight years,'' informs the spokespersonfrom Impact India.