iQOO and Bhuvan Bam urge to follow one’s true ‘quest’

New Delhi: iQOO, a sub-smartphone brand of the vivo group, has unveiled ‘The Quest Film: Keep Questing’ and The Quest Report 2024. 

Made under the direction of the filmmaker, Shoojit Sircar, known for his films like Pink, Sardar Udham, and Piku, the story also features a message from Bhuvan Bam. The 3-minute film tells the tale of a young man, who against the wishes of his father, dares to choose an unconventional path to pursue his dreams as a content creator. The story underscores the importance of exploring one’s true quest, while highlighting the youth’s preference for a new-age career. 

Conceptualised by Ogilvy India, "Keep Questing" aims to inspire the youth to explore their passions, and follow their dreams and aspirations. 

On the film's release, Bam shared, "When the iQOO team invited me to join their campaign celebrating the pursuit of youth dreams, I felt an immediate connection. The spirit of ‘i Quest On and On’ embodies the ambition and determination that drive so many young people today. Being part of a story that resonates so closely with my own journey was a truly rewarding experience. I hope this film inspires others to persevere and continue chasing their dreams."

Sircar shared, "A large part of filmmaking is about connecting to the questers and hence, creating this film was an inspiring journey. When I was presented with the concept, I was immediately convinced as Gen Z's relentless pursuit of innovation and their desire to break new ground resonated with me deeply. They strive to do things nobody has done before and become individuals others admire. Their boldness and ambition are the heart of this story. I hope this film not only entertains but also motivates viewers to chase their dreams fearlessly and redefine what's possible.”

Ritu Sharda, CCO (North), Ogilvy, said, “IQOO celebrates the spirit of a generation that believes in continuously exploring and questing. Bringing this narrative to life was a thrilling endeavour for us. The vision was to craft a story that not only reflects the boldness and ambitious nature of youngsters today, but also to inspire viewers to push boundaries and chase their dreams with unwavering determination. Collaborating with visionary talents like Shoojit Sircar and Bhuvan Bam gave our concept a huge boost. We believe this film will resonate with audiences and ignite a spark of relentless questing within them." 

The Quest film will be streaming starting August 8, 2024 on iQOO’s official YouTube channel, Instagram, Twitter, and community platforms. The ensemble cast includes Babla Kochar, Anubha Fatehpuria, Yogendra Singh, Aditya, and Ebong Ipsita. 

The Quest Report 2024

‘The Quest Report 2024’ with CMR unveils the dreams and passion journey of this generation. It encapsulates insights from 6,700 respondents, aged between 20-24 years, 7 countries- India, United States of America, United Kingdom, Brazil, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. The report covers three broad areas: Gen Z Questers’ spirit and motivation to fulfil their dreams, obstacles and barriers that disrupt their quest for passion, and career choices that drive their interests.

Executed by iQOO with CyberMedia Research (CMR), the report decodes Questers’ drive, passion and ambition through a quantitative metric- Quest Index, or “QI.”

The results showcase India’ s QI as 9.1 followed by Malaysia with 8.7 QI, Thailand and USA with 8.2 QI, Indonesia with 8.1 QI, United Kingdom with 8 QI, and Brazil with 7.8 QI.

Commenting on the release of the brand's first quest film and report, Nipun Marya, CEO, iQOO India, said, “Today’s youth are characterised by their bold dreams and an unwavering drive to bring those dreams to fruition. This indomitable spirit is encapsulated in our brand philosophy: "I Quest on and on" and we proudly refer to these passionate and determined individuals as Questers. While we specialise in high-performance smartphones, we’ve been inspired by the innovative ways young people utilise technology to chase their ambitious goals. This inspiration led us to decode the aspirations of today’s youth and to offer them the support they need. The result is The Quest Report and the Quest Film—our brand’s exploration into how passion fuels this ever-optimistic generation. Both the film and the report is an effort to inspire the Gen Z to embark on their own quest despite the numerous challenges and achieve their dreams.”

Some of the key highlights from the report include: 

• 1 out of 4 Indian respondents are more inclined towards new-age job fields like content creation, data analysis, AI, and cybersecurity.

• 43% respondents in India and 46% globally are willing to give up work-life balance to succeed in their career.

• 2X more women in India feel gender affects the pursuit of their dreams compared to men

• Only 9% of Indian Gen Zs want to pursue entrepreneurship as they seek stability and security in work life.

• 19% Indians prefer career advancements in big organisations instead of startups.

• 73% of the Indian respondents believe that gap year can help them pursue their dreams and aspirations.

• Indian youth are hustlers, they take 2X the initiatives compared to their global peers.

• 46% feel financial constraints as a barrier to pursue their choice of career. However, over 90% are confident in achieving their dream despite the barrier.

• 65% see failure as a learning opportunity, and 60% believe it pushes them towards their dreams

• 51% of Questers said that they would take up higher studies to support their quest while 49% of the Indians believe mentorship by experts is a powerful tool to support their aspirations.

While sharing views on the report, Prabhu Ram, Vice-President– Industry Research Group, CyberMedia Research (CMR), said, “In our increasingly complex, digitally-driven world, today’s youth face unprecedented challenges. At CyberMedia Research (CMR), we have been at the forefront of understanding these evolving consumer paradigms. CMR’s research done for The Quest Report, commissioned by iQOO, explores the perspectives of a brave new generation of youth across Asia, Europe, North America, and South America, providing invaluable insights into their mindset and their quests. The high levels of clarity and focus on big dreams along with a hustler mindset underscore the state of today’s youth in India.”

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