Melodic Billboard Comes Alive When It Interacts With Rain During Monsoon Season

Lipton-owned Brooke Bond Taj Mahal Tea is bringing harmony to the rain with a billboard in India called Megh Santoor that performs as the monsoon season wages on.

This colossal billboard, placed outside the Vijayawada Railway Station in Andhra Pradesh, stretches an impressive 150 feet wide. When the heavens open, its ingenious design activates strings that weave together a melodious tune on an instrument known as the santoor. 

The resulting tune is the Raag Megh Malhar, a classical Indian melody deeply intertwined with the monsoon season. This period usually lasts from June to September.

According to The Drum, Kainaz Karmakar and Harshad Rajadhyaksha, co-chief creative officers at advertising agency Ogilvy India, commented on the project, stating that it was filled with “what ifs?” as the team did not know if the billboard would be able to play music until it began to rain.

In fact, its size and ingenuity earned it a Guinness World Record, which was formally acknowledged on September 10, 2023.

As a tribute to this remarkable feat, Megh Santoor will continue to grace the skyline until October 16, coinciding with the conclusion of the monsoon season.

[via The Drum and Famous Campaigns, screenshots via Taj Mahal Tea]