Christmas in October

Every October, India begins the month by celebrating the joy of giving. This week commemorates the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, referred to as the father of the nation — a man who dedicated his life to earning the country’s independence.

Our client Ashok Leyland was looking to celebrate this week, by getting the entire organization into the spirit of giving.

They had collaborated with the Hand in Hand foundation in India, so the employees could gift a little something — a notebook, a school bag, a pencil set — to a child in need.

It was better than Christmas, but the spirit of the celebration was not lost on us. We proposed the concept of a “giving tree” — an indoor tree decked with little baubles, each of which had a wish from a child on the back of it.

Employees could walk up to the tree, pick a bauble, and flip it over to find a simple wish. They could then buy the gift that the child had asked for and hang up a little smile for every wish granted.

Over the course of the week, the tree would transform into a tree of smiles, a reminder of how collective action can bring about collective joy.