BACKGROUND: Amidst the rising toll of Coronavirus cases and the fear of community spread, it was critical to share the message that everyone should wear face masks everywhere.

CHALLENGE: India did not have enough medical face masks for doctors, nurses and frontline workers during the Covid Pandemic. How do you protect over a billion people when time is of the essence?

Inspiring an integrated national solution was the need of the nation. A solution that would be directed at every Indian to be self reliant and protect themselves and their families.

SOLUTION: The Times of India initiated a countrywide call for action, inviting every Indian to make their own masks using any clean cloth or traditional garment like turban, scarf, handkerchief, bandana, saree or shawl. Make Your Own Mask featured on the front page of the National Newspaper, Television, Mobile and Social Media during the Lockdown in April 2020. Editorial and Outdoor and Social Media Campaigns demonstrated that making and wearing masks has been part of Indian folk culture for thousands of years. Now, you can do it yourself.

DIY. MAKE YOUR OWN MASK. WEAR IT AND SHARE IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

ALL INDIA ACTION: Inspired by the news that making and wearing masks as part of Indian culture and folk theatre for centuries, millions of Indians started creating and sharing their home-made masks. Celebrities joined with DIY Mask Tutorials and Graffiti Artists painted masks into iconic art and famous statues.

To multiply reach of the campaign and drive engagement and practice, #MaskIndia was conceptualized as the first completely integrated campaign between the Times of India and Times Internet. News channels across the Times Network regularly broadcast the need to wear homemade masks. All TOI and TIL properties are teaching Indians how to make, wear, sanitize and dispose of their masks. The #MaskIndia hashtag compels citizens to participate and upload pictures wearing their DIY home-made masks on the campaign website – so the world can see how Indians are fighting back! The influencer strategy of using celebrities to amplify the message got a huge bonus in the national press with major news stories when the Prime Minister tweeted about #MaskIndia and followed up by making and wearing his own home-made ghamcha masks, during every public appearance.

Make Your Own Mask featured on the front page of all National Newspapers, National Television, Mobile and Social Media during the Lockdown in April 2020.

Editorial and Outdoor and Social Media Campaigns demonstrated that making and wearing masks has been part of Indian folk culture for thousands of years.

Now, you can do it yourself. DIY. MAKE YOUR OWN MASK.

WEAR IT AND SHARE IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

Millions of Indians started creating and posting their home-made masks using #maskindia.Celebrities joined in with DIY Mask Tutorials and Graffiti Artists painted masks into iconic art, cinema posters and famous statues.

A chain reaction from the walls of India to the millions in rural India followed.

EVEN THE PRIME MINISTER MADE HIS OWN MASK.

In fact, PM Modi became the face of the campaign, with his traditional ghamcha home-made masks and was trending throughout the year on Twitter and National News Media.

ALL INDIA EXHIBITION:

By unlocking the mask making craft that has been part of ancient Indian tradition, the Mask India movement inspired the nation into action and helped stop the spread of the virus. At last count, 108.9 million unique masks were home-made in India as recorded on social media, news journalists and traffic police cctv reports.

A integrated chain reaction from the newspaper to the nation. #MaskIndia