Dancing around trees is out. Cavorting around missiles is in. Using the matkas-jhatkas of a Bollywood item number, Israeli armament company Rafael has let loose an unusual advertising missile this time.
Unveiled for the first time during the Aero-India show in Bangalore in February, Rafael’s advertising music video to woo the Indian defence establishment and the public at large is evoking incredulity and derision in equal measure, both in the web world as well as South Block. “We are buying a whole host of missiles, ranging from SpyDer air defence systems to Python air-to-air ones, and other equipment from Rafael. Their products are good. But this advertisement is quite tacky... like a C-grade Hindi movie song,” said a senior defence officer. The over three-minute music video shows a man, presumably Rafael, wooing a woman, representing India, by singing a song which goes something like this: “We have been together for long... trusting friends and partners... What more can I pledge to make our future strong?”
The woman, in turn, hums back: “I need to feel safe and sheltered... security and protection, commitment and perfection, defence and dedication.” Then, there is a chorus by the accompany i n g group of g yrating d a n c e r s, who look to be of Israeli-origin but are dressed in Indian costumes, which proclaims, “Together, forever... I will hold you in my heart... we will never be apart... Dingadinga, dinga-dinga, dinga-dee.”
That’s not all. The man “promises” to “defend and shield” the woman and “fulfil” all her expectations and meet all his “obligations”, even as the entire group dances around missiles to the music beat. For good measure, there are pictures of Goddess Durga and Hanuman strategically positioned in the background. Despite attempts, no one from Rafael could be contacted to shed light on what seems to be a marketing pitch gone completely awry.
Israeli officials are always reluctant to talk about the burgeoning military ties with India. New Delhi, too, tries to keep the relationship under wraps due to domestic political sensitivities.
Israel, on its part, has emerged as the second-largest defence supplier to India after the 1999 Kargil conflict, notching up sales worth around $1 billion a year.
The relationship is now further heading north. Just last month, for instance, the UPA government quietly inked a Rs 10,000 crore project with Israel to develop advanced medium-range surface-to-air missile systems, capable of detecting and destroying hostile aircraft and spy drones at a range of 120 km.
The joint DRDO-IAI (Israel Aerospace Industries) project, despite being in the pipeline for over two years, was on hold till now since CBI had named IAI and Rafael in the kickbacks case in the original Rs 1,160 crore Barak-I deal, sealed by the previous NDA regime in 2000.
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