There is an air about India Air India 1968

This vivid and whimsical Air-India poster from 1968 exemplifies the golden era of travel advertising, when airlines commissioned vibrant, culturally rich graphics to evoke exoticism and wanderlust. Titled “There is an Air About India,” the work blends folkloric motifs with mid-century design sensibilities to create a joyful, stylized celebration of India’s cultural heritage.

At its center is a majestic decorated elephant, adorned with intricate textiles, tribal-style markings, and surrounded by a procession of musicians, dancers, and horsemen. Each figure is drawn in a playful, collage-like style that nods to traditional Rajasthani miniatures and folk art, while also appealing to the modern, international tourist eye. The background is a soft desert yellow, evoking the warmth of the Indian climate and the color palette of its landscapes.

The phrase “There is an Air About India” plays cleverly on the airline’s brand identity—suggesting both the literal act of flying and the poetic "atmosphere" of the country itself. This slogan was part of a larger campaign by Air-India, which throughout the 1960s and 70s produced some of the most iconic and collectable travel posters in aviation history. The airline’s advertising was known for its distinctive fusion of Indian traditional imagery with cosmopolitan flair, appealing to both pride at home and curiosity abroad.

Air-India’s marketing department, often working with Indian illustrators and art directors like Umesh Rao or Shiv Singh, cultivated a visual language that was humorous, theatrical, and uniquely Indian—part of a soft-power strategy that used commercial air travel to brand the nation as modern yet timeless.

Today, this poster stands as a colorful artifact of post-Independence India's self-presentation to the world: dynamic, vibrant, and deeply rooted in cultural pageantry. It’s not just a travel ad—it’s an invitation to experience India as both journey and spectacle.

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