Reasserting its emotional connect with consumers -- something that is at the core of its brand philosophy --, Bharti Airtel [Get Quote] last week rolled out a new plan called Special 5 for all its 100 million mobile phone customers.

The plan allows the customer to choose any five (Airtel) numbers of his choice to make local calls at low rates of 20 paisa per minute and long-distance calls at 50 paisa per minute. It is based on the company's internal research and consumer-call analysis which showed that most users make 60 to 70 per cent of their calls to four or five 'special' people -- family members or close friends.

"The thought is to enable our customers strengthen their bond with their family and loved ones and in turn with Airtel. Such nominal rates give them the freedom to talk for as long as they want, even on long distance," says Bharti Airtel chief marketing officer (mobile services) Raghunath Mandava.

"In a market bombarded with complicated plans and discount schemes, it is a simple and straightforward offer where we have cut off any kind of segmentation. Our target is universal as the tendency to connect to families and close ones is a universal one."

The offer comes at a rental of Re 1 a number a day and a monthly rental of Rs 249 for postpaid customers with added benefit of free 249 local minutes. Will it be attractive enough for users to latch on to it? "Yes," says Mandava, "Because of urbanisation, migration from different parts of the country is on the rise.

"The offer enables these customers to stay connected to their parents, wife or children back home at very nominal charges." As the offer applies to Airtel-to-Airtel users, the company hopes that it will also attract the customer's family and friends to go for an Airtel connection.

As the product proposition is that it allows a customer to be close to his special ones, it was decided to have a commercial with a protagonist with his or her Special 5.

Thus was born a little girl Anna with her five special friends in short stories straight out of the Enid Blyton world.

"We chose a gentle theme of how these children (Anna and her Special 5) always do things together," says Bharti Airtel senior vice-president (marketing) and Head (brand and media) R Chandrasekar. "It is a celebration of friendship in a warm and beautiful way."

The creative work was done by Rediffusion Y&R and the films have been shot in Cape Town by renowned filmmaker Javier Blanco. After a teaser, two such stories have been put on air (and also in cyberspace).

More will follow in the days to come.

Also on the cards are print and outdoor ads as well as ground-level activation in places like malls. Some activity is planned during the Friendship Week in August.

It remains to be seen how long does it take for rivals to offer something similar. The mobile telephony market is overcrowded and service operators are trying hard to create differentiation. Features like Special 5 are a time-tested recipe for success.

However, it doesn't take long for others to come out with something similar. Still, the advantage lies with Bharti Airtel at the moment.