Himalaya woos the young in their language, pegging herbal benefits

Himalaya has rolled out three new TVCs that have been conceptualised by Soho Square. Highlighting the benefits of its herbal based products the films aired on 1 May.

The films look to target a younger demographic.

One of the films is dedicated to the ‘neem face wash’. It features a young girl walking towards her elder sister (with her face covered) asking for some advice. The sister is quick to pick up on the fact that her sister is being nice to her for once. It is revealed that the young girl has gotten her first pimple and is looking for help. The older girl has some fun trying to take a picture of the young girl. As the young girl walks back to her room, she finds a tube on her table along with a note from her sister.  The film cuts to a shot of the girl washing her face as a voice over goes through the product and its features. The film ends with a loving embrace between the two sisters (both with glowing skin) as a super of the product flashes on screen.

The other two films are for the sparkling white toothpaste.

A group of young ladies are seated at a table. They all question the protagonist's style and trendiness for which she always has a comeback. At this point one of the girls mistakenly asks her if her yellow teeth is also 'cool'. The film cuts to an animation of the product as the entire group looks awkwardly around the room.

The other film takes place on a date. A young man is seen describing his girl friend’s features in metaphors. When she asks him about her smile, he fumbles and calls it yellow. Just as in the previous film, the narrative introduces an animation of the product.

Rajesh Krishnamurthy, business head – consumer products division, The Himalaya Drug Company, said, “As a brand, we have been investing more and more in understanding our consumer’s psychographics to create campaigns that are clutter breaking, appeal to the youth and highlight our USP of problem-solution. No-chemical bleach in our whitening toothpaste is unique and addresses the concerns of sensitivity and abrasion. The earlier set of four TVCs we had created last year had spelt success for the brand and we wanted to build on the same platform of social embarrassment and take the execution to the next level. We plan to build a mark in the whitening segment which is pegged at 138 crore and is growing at 43 per cent.”

Shenaz Bapooji, head, Soho Square, said, “The last set of films done for Sparkling White, worked wonders for the brand. The question, this time around, was to raise the bar and create another set of films that connect with today's youth. We were mindful of the fact that we needed to stay focused on the insight and yet, not tip over to appearing offensive. Let’s just say, we are very happy with how the films have come out, this time too.”

Credits
Client: Himalaya
Creative agency: Soho Square
Creative team: Ravikumar C, Vinni John
Account management: Shenaz Bapooji, Anoop Ancil, Nirmal Nair
Production house: Code Red
Director (film): Gajraj Rao
Producer: Subrath Ray