ORIGINS

The Amul girl was created as a response to Amul's rival brand Polson's butter-girl. The idea was conceived in 1967 once ASP (Advertising, Sales and Promotion) clinched the brand portfolio from the previous agency FCB Ulka. It was executed by Sylvester Da Cunha, the owner of the agency and his art director Eustace Fernandez on hoardings, painted bus panels and posters in Mumbai. The mascot, since then, has been mobilized to comment on many events of national and political importance like Emergency in India in 1976. Eustace Fernandes was the creative brain behind the popular Amul Girl.

DaCunha, founder-Chairman of DaCunha Communications and Fernandes created the very first hoarding that said: 'Give us this day our daily bread with Amul Butter'. Since then, the Utterly, Butterly Girl has had her say on current affairs topics and even today, continues to win hearts with her tongue-in-cheek humour. As Sylvester DaCunha says, 'The great thing about Eustace Fernandes' girl is the round face that can be adapted to be anybody. With Manmohan Singh, put a turban on her. It can be Indira Gandhi, give her a white streak. So it's a supremely adaptable creation'. 

The first of the ads featuring the girl in the polka dotted frock and a matching ribbon were not the huge hoardings that we are more acquainted with, but were put up on a few lamposts in Mumbai.

The first ever hoarding featuring the Amul girl had her saying a bedtime prayer. Interestingly, in her first major appearance the Amul girl wasn’t in her trademark polka-dotted frock.

‘Utterly, butterly, delicious’

 The evergreen tagline of Amul was suggested by Nisha daCunha, who was Sylvester Dacunha's wife. Before the 'Utterly' tagline Amul was positioned as ‘processed from the purest milk under the most hygienic conditions by a diary co-operative in Gujarat'.

Though the Amul girl has been a cute adorable girl talking about the latest news, events and controversies, it has had had its own share of controversies. One of the most controversial Amul butter ads of all time was perhaps the one after incidents of UK authorities conducting virginity tests on Indian women arriving at London airport in 1979. The text said “Indian virgin needs no urgin’!” Following protests Amul came up with another billboard apologising for the ad