Bar soap ads shun falling rose petals for grit and grime

Two brands, Vivel and Hamam have both cashed in on the women empowerment sentiment to create a refreshing brand communication

e4m by Venkata Susmita Biswas
Published: Aug 4, 2017 7:50 AM  | 4 min read


Bar soaps have always been about the soft after-glow of a long bath. Now there is more to bar soaps than soft skin that men desire to touch. Bar soap brands are embracing the changing times and creating a narrative that women and girls of today can relate with.


So far, a generic bar soap ad for women comprised three key elements: rose petals lilting softly across the screen, an opulent bathtub and a Bollywood leading lady. This formula has not failed brands despite the continuous public debate about ads like these being harmful to the perception of self-worth of women and young girls. However, brands have caught on to the public sentiment and remedied the formulaic ad that drives women to have flawless, soft and most often fair skin. Two brands, Vivel and Hamam have both cashed in on the women-empowerment sentiment to create a refreshing brand communication.


The latest kid on the block is ITC’s Vivel. The ad for the newly launched Lotus Oil variant of Vivel soap empowers women with its ‘don’t compromise’ attitude with the tagline #AbSamjhautaNahin. The ad portrays women from varied professions doing what they like best and excelling in their chosen professions. It is worth noting that the creators of the ad have steered clear of overtly fair-skinned professionals in the ad. The ad is set to a poem that lists the various commandments to which girls need to conform and by which they need to live their lives.


Recently, another bar soap brand also moved away from the formulaic ad and launched a marketing campaign centered around self-defence for girls. Hamam’s latest campaign sought to promote the safety of women by enabling women to safeguard themselves against all kinds of harm. Hamam has always positioned itself as a protector. It one of its early ads, a pregnant mother tells her son that she provides protection to the baby inside her just like Hamam protects him. This time around Hamam added a twist to the brand positioning. Now, a mother enrols her young daughter in a self-defence class to make her self-reliant.


Shunning the formula and hopping on to the women-empowerment bandwagon is not necessarily the best approach, experts say. When a brand wants to make a difference, it now has a new formula—women empowerment. We asked experts if these ads are really breaking the clutter or adding to it.


Expert View:


Mandeep Malhotra

Founding Partner & Chief Executive Officer, The Social Street


I wish that ads that promote women empowerment are here to stay and not just a phase in advertising. I wish more brands move into this space more seriously and not as an interim opportunity or gimmick. That said, there is a lot of clutter that is being established not only among soap brands but across other categories as well. If ads that are based on the theme of women empowerment are not yet part of the clutter, they will be in the next couple of months. Every brand will be speaking the same language.


In the urban metro demographic, these ads may not have the kind of impact that is expected. That is because the woman in this demographic is very smart and equipped to know exactly what she wants. She knows from the health and price-point angle what is the product that she needs to purchase. An ad like this will not sway her purchases.


Arnab Mitra

Managing Director, Liqvd Asia


Both brands have done a great job of taking up two story lines that are unlike their general brand communication. But a consumer does not look at it from the perspective of which brand is advertising. What first happens is that a consumer likes a communication and later connects the brand with the ad. Unfortunately, neither Vivel nor Hamam are the leaders of the category be it, product, brand positioning or communication. So, I am not sure this communication will position both these brands with higher top of the mind recall than they had earlier. Taking up a feminist angle is the flavour of the season. Because of this, my fear is that they might get lost in the noise.


Lastly, the campaigns have a lot of potential in the digital space. What brands do not realise is that a digital campaign is not about just creating a hashtag. While it is a good start for the brands, it is a lost opportunity.


With Hamam’s regional communication approach that extends to Tier 2 cities, it is surely the clear winner among the two.

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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur

The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:15 PM  | 1 min read
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With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.

The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.

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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out

The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
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Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."

The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."

COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.

Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.

He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
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e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.

According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.

As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.

A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.

Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.

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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall

The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
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Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.

“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.

“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."

"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:39 PM  | 1 min read

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:38 PM  | 1 min read

KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias

Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 24, 2023 3:35 PM  | 1 min read
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KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.

Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy

Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.

Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."

Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."

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