If you are on Indian roads, then you cannot ignore the beautiful truck art behind the trucks. In fact, it is now a genre of art in itself. Not just on trucks, but now, this art is featured in cafes, food festivals and quirky stores too. If you are quirky enough, it can make its way to your house too! But did you know the meaning behind this truck art?
Well, while some of it is purely for beautification purposes, however, some phrases that are featured on trucks have a deeper meaning to them.
Use Dipper At Night
This is a phrase that you must have come across, especially if you have driven around highways. Reading this is almost inevitable. Those of you who drive would know that dipper means the combination of high and low beams that indicate the transport ahead of you that you are asking for a pass, especially at night. So, it is common for anyone to assume that when it is painted behind a truck, it is to tell other drivers to use a dipper to pass by.
But, what if I tell you that it actually is a condom advertisement? This is an initiative started by TATA Motors in 2016 April.
As per reports, around 6 million trucks are running on the second-largest road network in the world. You guessed it right! India has the second largest road network with 29,14,133 miles of highway, which means if something is advertised on trucks, it is more likely to travel that many miles. As per the NACO initiatives, a study by the Transport Corporation of India reported that out of the 2 million truck drivers who visited sex workers, only 11% of them used protection. It also found that awareness among the drivers was very low, with 16% of them suffering from some venereal disease.
In order to protect truck drivers from HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, TATA Motors launched its campaign "Use Dipper At Night" to promote the condom brand Dipper by HLL Lifecare. The condoms were made available for free at roadside dhabas, petrol pumps, and health centres in a condom wallet.
However, it was difficult to advertise condoms openly, this is when the creative agency Rediffusion Y&R came up with the idea of painting it behind the trucks, as part of truck art, in the guise of using beams to pass by.
This is how 6 million trucks on the road could remind one another to use condoms. As per the reports, in April alone, 45,000 condoms were sold in Ludhiana, Kanpur and Vashi.
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Horn OK Please
Another truck phrase, which cannot be unseen. It also has a deeper meaning, but more than one theory to justify it. Kenneth Rapoza in a Forbes article, dated 2014, titledOne Plausible Reason Why Indians Love Honking Horns says that truck drivers did not use side mirrors, in fact, some trucks did not even have them. So, they honked when they were overtaking. This is why it was painted behind trucks to guide other drivers too, to honk in case they were to overtake trucks.
But, it does not explain the "OK" between the "Horn Please".
Another theory comes from way back in history, from World War II, when there was a worldwide shortage of diesel. Trucks in India were running on kerosene, a more flammable fuel. This is why the warning sign "OK", which meant 'On Kerosene' was painted on trucks to keep other drivers at a distance.
Another interpretation is of yet another advertisement by Tata Motors, where they painted "OK" behind trucks as a subtle way of marketing their new "OK" detergent and bath soaps. This was part of the Tata Oil Mills subsidiary.
While the reasons may be many, it cannot be denied that the phrase "Horn OK Please" has now become an integral part of not just truck art, but also our lives. Whether it is food trucks, food festivals, or quirky truck artwork that we want for our house, this phrase has become common for all!