The Idea: Waste tyres (health and environmental hazard) + bitumen = Modified bitumen mix, used to effectively fill up accidents-causing potholes = Happy Roads.

For Ceat, one of India's largest tyre manufacturer, this was an innovation that tackled one menace (potholes) with another menace (waste tyres) and brought in loads of brand love in the process.

The activity started with asking people to donate used and waste tyres. Once we had enough of them from various sources, we began the process of crushing and mixing.

Then we began filling up potholes with our modified bitumen mix in July 2017, smack in the middle of the Monsoon rains when India's west coast is lashed by severe rains. In Mumbai, this season is equated with potholes that lead to accidents and traffic snarls. We started filling up potholes in patches on the Eastern and Western Express Highways, the two busiest arterial roads of the city. Thousands of people driving through these highways saw the activity and talked about it. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, the nodal civic agency encouraged us to continue. With their support, over 2 months, through till September 2017, we had smoothed over 50 kilometres of roads.

-We used one menace: waste tyres, to tackle another menace: potholes.

-The simplicity of the innovation and the media chatter generated by Ceat Happy Roads made civic administrations in other Indian cities take note. The MMRDA assured us it would consider our solution in the future.

- The CEAT ‘Happy Roads’ video reached over 6 million people

Happy Roads featured in 16 news outlets, including TV and print and digital (DNA, Indian 24News, Scroll.in). The messaging was about the innovation and its simplicity

- Post the launch of the social video CEAT had a 52% SOV of all conversations on safety online. Our goal of starting a larger conversation about road safety was achieved. As was the goal of spreading awareness about the simplicity of the solution : waste tyres + bitumen = filling up potholes

- ‘HAPPY ROADS’ earned over Rs. 1.08 Crore (10 million) of earned media