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Saffola: Low on cholesterol, high on empathy
agencyfaqs!NEW DELHI, May 31
The focus of cooking-oil advertising in India has been on the
predictable but in this case,highly relevant platform of health.
Working on the assumption that while most consumersknow about the
benefits of a healthy life, but few take serious efforts to
maintain it, these adsprescribe switching to a healthy oil as a
first step to healthy living. Advertising for Saffola hasbeen no
different. From home to nursing home, the brand has, over the
years, driven homethe high-cholesterol, serious-heart-problem theme
through various creative executions.However, the new multi-media
campaign for Saffola Gold is a different take on the issue, as
itexplores the health theme from a more empathetic and indulgent
viewpoint.
The television commercial for the campaign created by
McCann-Erickson India and directedby Rajiv Menon opens on a man
groggily turning off the morning alarm, slipping into histracksuit
and jogging shoes and heading straight back to bed. His wife enters
with a cup oftea and tries to cajole her husband to stick to his
exercise regimen. The husband, who finds itdifficult to relinquish
the comforts of his bed, pleads for just five more minutes of that
sweet,divine sleep. She gives in. The background refrain of Kal se,
based on AR Rehmans hitnumber Dil Se, underscores the mans outlook
towards good health.
Cut to the wife walking into the living room, to find her
husband sitting on the couch, watchingcricket, while their son
pedals hubby dears exercising cycle. She looks at her
husbandcomplainingly, but he reacts with a placating flying kiss,
and promptly turns his attention to theaction on TV.
But the wifes frustrations are far from over, as her husband
gorges junk food. Saffola makesan entry here, comforting the lady
whose efforts at ensuring a healthy life have been thwarted
by her husband. The voiceover urges her to take timely action
and not postpone mattersconcerning health, the way her husband
does. The ad signs off by saying Naya Saffola Gold.Dil ki hifazat,
aaj se.
The decision to reposition Saffola from a brand that was
perceived to be therapeutic infunction to that of an understanding
companion was a result of two factors the launch ofnew variant
Saffola Gold, and the need to build awareness about heart care
among a largerbase of consumers. One of the key tasks was to
educate consumers about the benefits ofthis new variant, says
Vishal Mehta, business director, McCann-Erickson India. The fact
thatSaffola Gold has a double action formula, which not only helps
in the reduction of cholesterolbut also absorbs less in the food,
was highlighted.
Elaborating on the second factor, he adds, Over the years, the
brand has resonated well
primarily with those people who have a heart condition. The
brief was to move Saffola frombeing a therapeutic brand to one that
plays an important role in maintaining an overallhealthy lifestyle
for everyone. Therefore, the brand needed to reach out to a larger
set ofconsumers.
That point of contact with a larger set of consumers had to come
through an understanding oftheir lifestyle. We discovered that
while there is an increasing intention to follow a
healthylifestyle, this intention does not always translate into
action. This gap between intent andaction became the basis to
reposition Saffola, Mehta explains. Thus, the story was then
builtaround the theme Men are reluctant health enthusiasts.
In the new campaign, Saffola recognizes that it is easy to fall
prey to the temptations thatcome in the way of healthy living, says
Ashish Bhargava, marketing manager, Saffola,
Marico Industries. We procrastinate when it comes to adopting a
healthy lifestyle thatincludes exercising and avoiding fatty, oily
food. The least the wife can do as the first step to ahealthy heart
is to switch to a good cooking oil.
