This Is India’s Most Viral Ad Ever, and It Will Make You Weep for Humanity

How precocious are digital natives today? They take charge of things literally from birth, according to this somewhat terrifying spot from MTS Telecom, which the company claims is now the most-viewed ad ever to come out of India.

The spot—created by Creativeland Asia, directed by Guy Shelmerdine from Smuggler Films and set to "I'm Coming Out" by Diana Ross—has 23.4 million views on YouTube (surpassing the previous Indian record holder, Lifebuoy's "Help a Child Reach 5" PSA, with 19 million). And its pint-size star fits snugly into a long line of famous unusually dexterous infants, from Evian's CGI babies all the way back to the original Internet dancing baby. Rather than just cavort about on roller skates, though, he spends his brief first moments of life Googling, stealing and taking selfies. And MTS quite clearly loves that about him.

A rep tells us the company launched the ad in an innovative way—by seeding the spot as a BitTorent file and letting the country's digital natives find it on their own. And indeed, it got plenty of buzz before it was launched on the brand's official social channels.

MTS Telecom has entered it in next week's Cannes festival and hopes to bring home a Lion. We'll leave it up to you to determine whether it deserves one.

Credits below.

CREDITS

Client: MTS Telecom

Agency: Creativeland Asia

Production House: Smuggler London

Creative Chairman: Sajan Raj Kurup

Executive Creative Director: Anu Joseph

Script: Sajan Raj Kurup

Director: Guy Shermeldine

Producer: Chris Barret

Director of Photography: Alex Baber

Visual Effects: Glassworks

Visual Effects Lead: Abi Klimaszewska

Editor: Andy McGraw, Stitch

Music Director: Mikey McCleary