Ploughing through ad turf: TAFE, AGCO turn advertising soil for Massey

Tractor rivals resort to media campaigns to stamp their claim on the iconic brand

India is no stranger to corporate advertisement battles.

 

The long list of advertisement wars includes PepsiCo-Coca-Cola, Reliance Jio-Bharti Airtel, Amul-Hindustan Unilever, Times of India–The Hindu, Complan-Horlicks, and many more.

 

The latest to join this elite list are tractor giants Tractors and Farm Equipment (TAFE) and the US major AGCO, both fighting a legal battle over the ownership of the Massey Ferguson (MF) brand in India. Now, both companies have taken this MF war to the streets through advertisements across India to stamp each other’s claim on the iconic brand.

 

It was in April that AGCO first announced the termination of its agreements with TAFE, including the brand licence for MF, which kicked off a legal battle. On November 19, both TAFE and AGCO claimed that the Madras High Court had favoured them in their dispute over MF, citing an order to maintain the “status quo”.

 

Following this, AGCO was the first to enter the campaign pitch through its front-page advertisements in The New Indian Express on November 22, which said, “Every farmer’s friend, AGCO’s Massey Ferguson”. The advertisement repeatedly referred to the brand as “AGCO’s Massey Ferguson” and said that it had been present in India since the 1950s. AGCO followed this up with a series of media and traditional advertisements across the country, including in financial daily Mint and Tamil daily Dinamani.

 

TAFE responded to this through cover advertisements in multiple editions of the largest English daily Times of India, conveying the message, “Khet Mein Massey, Dil Mein TAFE”, in respective regional languages like Hindi, Tamil, Marathi, and Kannada. Both companies tried to ensure their ownership of the MF brand by using its logos, along with the logos of their respective companies. While TAFE used the iconic triple-triangle MF logo, AGCO used the new MF brand logo launched in 2022 with the tagline “Born to Farm”.

 

“Our advertisements have always been in regional languages to reach and connect with farming communities across India that form the heartbeat of the nation. Our ads for the 65th anniversary loudly and proudly celebrate TAFE’s relationship with Indian farmers, that we have made a home for MF in their fields and for TAFE in their hearts. It is also an expression of gratitude for their loyalty and support, which has assisted us in building our MF products that are more suitable for their needs,” said a TAFE executive. “Its narrative was about the six-decade-long relationship with the farmers and its dedication to the country and the agriculture sector,” the executive added.

 

“While legal matters are ongoing, we highlight MF’s globally respected quality, dependability, and innovation, all supported by AGCO. We believe it's important to provide clear insight to our valued stakeholders into AGCO’s ownership of the MF brand and its trademarks, while also sharing our vision and commitment to advancing Indian agriculture,” an AGCO statement said when asked about its aggressive advertisement campaigns.

 

“As we move away from TAFE, farmers should feel confident that there is a powerful, experienced, global organisation supporting MF in India, as AGCO similarly supports MF farmers in every other country where its products are sold,” it added.

 

The journey of MF started in India in January 1961 when Chennai-based Amalgamations Group decided to manufacture these tractors in India. Interestingly, TAFE is the single largest shareholder in AGCO, the third-largest farm equipment manufacturer in the world after Deere & Company and CNH Industrial. On the other hand, AGCO holds 21 per cent in TAFE. The first advertisement campaign in India for MF was in the early 1980s when TAFE launched the celebrated advertisements with the tagline “Ghee Khao Desi, Tractor Chalao Massey”.

 

“AGCO has been the proud owner of the MF brand since its acquisition in 1994 and remains committed to its legacy of supporting farmers globally, including in India. TAFE has questioned AGCO’s ownership in court cases in India; we wish to remind everyone of our position,” the AGCO statement added.

 

“TAFE, over its 65 years of history, has developed a vast range of products and today offers more than 500 products and variants to its MF customers. TAFE’s MF tractors are indigenously designed, developed, manufactured, and distributed exclusively through TAFE’s MF distribution network. TAFE has been advertising in the media since 1960, and since then, TAFE has sold and serviced over 3 million Indian farmers directly. To the Indian farmer, TAFE and MF are synonymous,” a TAFE executive said in response to questions from Business Standard. 

 

Epic advertising showdowns in India

 

Pepsi vs Coca-Cola: Pepsi’s “Nothing Official About It” campaign responded to Coca-Cola’s World Cup partnership in 1996

Jio vs Airtel: The telecommunications giants clashed in 2017 over who had India’s fastest network

Amul vs HUL: In 2017, Amul’s ads targeted HUL’s frozen desserts, claiming their ice creams were made with vanaspati

TOI vs The Hindu: TOI’s “Wake Up” campaign in 2012 was met by The Hindu’s “Stay Ahead of Times” rebuttal

Complan vs Horlicks: A 2008 ad battle saw both brands comparing their products, stirring controversy

 

  Note: The majority of these battles later took a legal course