Taken from my Facebook post of 29th October 2016. Bajaj V15 uses INS Vikrant’s metal, but does patriotism belong in marketing? A deep dive into branding, sentiment, and the ethics of emotional advertising.
Bajaj has introduced a bike—the Bajaj V15. Its fuel tank is apparently made from the metal scrap of the INS Vikrant, India’s first aircraft carrier. But here’s where things start to get uncomfortable. It’s not about the bike itself. It’s about how it's being marketed.
Bajaj decided to wrap the whole campaign in the Indian flag — metaphorically, of course — and say that buying the V15 is almost like doing your bit for the country. The message was clear: Buy this motorcycle, and prove your patriotism.
The Patriotism Pitch: Using national pride as a marketing strategy isn’t new. But there’s a thin line between honouring history and exploiting sentiment. And this campaign, intentionally or not, seems to cross that grey zone.
Aamir Khan is the spokesperson for Bajaj V15. He is endorsing the V15, calling it "a piece of history." But if history is what we’re after, then why not just give people a literal piece of the warship?
A Better Way to Remember: Let’s take a cue from Germany. After the Berlin Wall fell, pieces of the wall were sold in tiny acrylic display cases. Each piece came with a certificate of authenticity, and people bought them not as gimmicks, but as historical artifacts. That made sense. It was symbolic, tangible, and respectful.
Bajaj should have done something similar—a commemorative plaque with a small, certified fragment of the INS Vikrant. That would have been an elegant tribute. Something to keep in your study or pass down to the next generation. Instead, they melted that sentiment onto a two-wheeler tank and called it patriotism.
Should Brands Use Patriotism to Sell? Companies should be inspired by history. That’s fine. Even admirable. But when the messaging shifts from “This is a cool bike with a historic touch” to “Buy this or miss your chance to be a patriot,” that’s where things go off tangent. We live in a country where emotions are powerful, especially national emotions. But it’s also our responsibility as consumers to know when that emotion is being tapped genuinely… and when it’s being sold to us with a price tag.
So, are we unpatriotic if you don’t buy the V15? Of course not. Buy it if you like the specs. Buy it if you like the design. Buy it if you’re a fan of Bajaj. But don’t buy it because someone told you it makes you a better Indian.
Being a good citizen has nothing to do with what you ride, wear, or own. It's about how you think, how you act, and how you treat others. History isn’t something we buy — it’s something we remember, learn from, and respect. Let’s keep it that way.
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