05 March, 2011

Change

SHAMpoo!

There was this new company called Marle-G. It manufactured shampoos, and the first brand it came up with was named Heads & Balders.

Psst: It was meant for their Indian customers.

Well, okay!

And like other brands, Marle-G had been successfully able to identify the advertising strategy that worked best with us (stupid Indians).

The strategy? What strategy?

Okay, think no more. How about taking a look at what Marle-G actually did?

Their 1st Advertisement: They began by introducing the product and claiming how it was the best thing around. They even declared the product to be bringing about a revolution in hair care.

'For all types of hair... the solution is here', they said.

Surprisingly, or rather not surprisingly, at the end of the advertisement, somewhere, somehow, it said, 'From Marle-G... serving you since 1930'.

1930? What? WTF, actually?

Really! How come they have been serving us since 1930 when they have just recently begun their operations... at least in India?

If you ask me - it's just another company trying to sell its shitty product to us. There are hundreds of other companies doing just that... to us since long... and claiming to be in existence since longer.

Anyways, the story moved on.

Their 2nd Advertisement: This probably got aired 6 months after the first one.

Herein, Marle-G claimed 'a new and improved Heads & Balders... exclusively for the Indian hair'.

And yet again, it was the best shampoo around; they said again.

Okay! Does this mean the product was not really the 'best' the first time around? As they claimed in the last advertisement? How come there was an improvement on something that was already best?

Their 3rd Advertisement: A couple of months later, Marle-G came up with the next advertisement for Heads & Balders. This one looked more aggressive in nature.

They said, 'The New Heads & Balders... with xyriporithomenum...'

Aha! Xyriporithomenum!

Now what the fuck is that? An average Indian wouldn't know what it is. Why engage us in this jargon?

Their 4th Advertisement: This was their last advertisement for the year.

O hell! They said that the new Heads & Balders was now coming with the OQ protection that other shampoos didn't.

Man! They even showed other shampoo bottles in a blurred-but-easily-recognizable way on TV.

God! I definitely need this OQ protection. But before that could you tell me what it does for my hair? Bullshit, I think!

Anyways. A year has passed since the launch of this product. They have done well and captured a market share. Mission accomplished.

They bloody kept claiming to have changed the shampoo the whole year... but we couldn't change the channel once.

Copyright Disclaimer

All the pictures and contents on Dusht-ka-Drishtikone are protected by Copyright Law and should not be reproduced, published or displayed without the explicit prior written permission from the author of the blog, Kshitij Khurana.