Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Dirt & stain triumphs…
The old saga of ugliness associated with dirt and stain has undergone a makeover since the surf excel campaign . The Surf Excel ads celebrates dirt and stain as a part and parcel of a grand occasion called LIFE encouraging , and experiencing it as one grows up.
Marketing is all about positioning. A product may be of exceptional quality, but without an effective positioning it will be lost in the clutter of the similar products available in the same category in the market. An effective positioning provides that extra edge to the product which helps to break through that clutter and make a permanent mark in the minds of the consumers , in this highly competitive market.
The brand surf excel provides an excellent example of effective positioning . The tagline ‘Daag Achche Hai’ has helped establish the brands positioning strategy. The advertisers have been prudent enough to harp on a popular negative concept and turn it into an advantage. Converting the common woman’s irritation into a great relief , the campaign has always been thematic and full of life and vigour in its approach. The DAAG ACHCHE HAI campaign started around five years ago with a revolutionary concept against the conventional idea of Daag Gande Hai ( dirt is bad). Starting from its first campaign , where a brother dives into the puddle, pounding on it , scolding it, threatening it, with dire consequences , if it does not apologise to his sister as it is responsible in spoiling her dress. The second ad too , in resonant with the first , showed two small boys staging a mock fight to stop their fathers from fighting. The third ad showed solving a hiccup problem through shock , quite a very unusual way though.
The latest campaign from this stable is the ‘dog boy’ campaign, wherein when a boy learns in school about the death of his teacher’s dog ; he immediately goes to her house , and starts playing the dog before her in order to make her smile. The voice over says – AGAR DAAG LAGNE SE KUCH ACHCHA HOTA HAI, TOH DAAG ACHCHE HAI , followed by the tagline – Surf Excel- Daag Achche Hai and the logo. The child has been used very strategically to convey the brand value as children in their numerous naughty ways , try to please the person whom they love, unmindful of the consequences or any obstacles; which in a way also show their innocence, purity, surrounding them. Arun Iyer group creative director , Lowe Lintas in one renowned magazine explained that children can demonstrate a lot of values through actions . Here it is the emotion of empathy. It is about how a child feels instinctively for someone’s pain even though he does not know what it feels like. When he sees he , he immediately understands the magnitude of her grief.
The brand philosophy of surf excel too echoes the same concept. Surf Excel believes that stains are good . This is because when children go out and play and get dirty, they don’t just collect stains . They experience life , make friends, share with each other and learn from each other. This helps them get stronger and get ready for the world outside.( www.surfexcel.in)

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