Closeup created a first-of-its-kind partnership with the government authorities and local police in-charge of the MahaKumbh. With 100 million people crowding a 2-hectare area, even mobile phones signals were jammed. We designed a special Closeup non-tearable wristband that would contain emergency contact information of a person’s family members like name, address and telephone numbers. Closeup provided the local police with a specially trained team of 200 volunteers who administered these wristbands on all children and elderly across various transit and entry points – Railway station, Bus station and Taxi drop-offs. Personal details were recorded on these non-tearable bands using indelible ink.

The 200 Closeup volunteers over 55 days assisted the police in reuniting the lost with their families. These volunteers were easily identified by Closeup branded neon-trimmed jackets and through PA announcements. Closeup helpdesks were visible from a distance as Closeup balloons were displayed at a height of over 30-feet

Closeup tagged 1 million children and elderly. Nearly 300,000 people were lost during MahaKumbh 2013. Out of the 165,000 people reunited, Closeup was responsible for 106,000 (2/3rd).

Quoting SK Verma, Deputy Superintendent of Police (MahaKumbh Zone), “Tagging children and elderly who may not be able express themselves well, prevents them from getting lost. This CSR initiative by Closeup helped the Government and Police in managing a safer MahaKumbh”

While the initiative was rooted to its core proposition, for Closeup, the indelible goodwill of a 100 million people and specifically the 106,000 reunited families was the most appropriate marketing result