 "Campaign Logic: Chew on fun amid teen angst")
Confectionery brands face the stiff challenge of constantly engaging consumers in a category which has little room for product differentiation and innovation. Even as brands introduce new products or flavours for an already popular offering, they have to unearth newer ways of engaging consumers.
Aware of this challenge, Perfetti Van Melle India in its latest campaign sets out to amuse and lure consumers by urging them to take fun seriously as it promotes new soft candy offerings Chupa Chups Sour Belt and Sour Bites with “sweet and sour” sprinkles on top.
The brand campaign shows the principal of a school entering an examination hall ostensibly to make an important announcement. Even as kids stand up in anticipation of what the principal has to say, the latter starts demonstrating how one can have fun while consuming Chupa Chups Sour Belt and Sour Bites in different ways.
Part of its global portfolio, Perfetti Van Melle India introduced Chupa Chups brand in India early this year. Following the launch of bubble gum-filled lollipops, the company has expanded the product portfolio by introducing two new candy offerings.
The brand communication is built on the platform of “Fun ko seriously lo” (Take fun seriously).
“Chupa Chups celebrates breaking away from the pressures in a teenager’s life and having fun which is intrinsic to all the product formats — the bubble gum-filled lollipops and Sour Belt and Sour Bites,” says Rohit Kapoor, director, marketing, Perfetti Van Melle India.
The authority figure in the commercial is an advocate of fun and his unexpected behaviour comes across as a great surprise. Today, teenagers are constantly reminded to take life seriously. Building on this insight, the brand is telling them that in this serious business of life, they need not stop having fun.
The campaign has been put together by Ogilvy & Mather.
Sour Belt and Bites are completely new formats for the Indian market. So, the creative agency’s biggest challenge was to introduce the new format to the consumers, and communicate how it feels to chew given the belt-shaped texture of one and bite-sized piece of the other, and various fun ways of eating both in a way never done before.
Anurag Agnihotri, executive creative director, Ogilvy & Mather, says, “Teenagers are always being asked to toe the line by authority figures in their lives, which is why the message of ‘have fun with this product’ would have a greater impact if the person delivering this irreverent and deviant message was an authority figure himself.”
No wonder, the commercial has the school principal not only introducing the product to the pupils but also giving a demo of the consumption ritual. Brand Chupa Chups is fun, and all the products under the brand have great playability. And the ad brings out this attribute in an engaging manner.
According to Nielsen, the confectionery market in India is valued at Rs 7,600 crore. Perfetti Van Melle India claims to be the market leader with 22 per cent share. The brand is hopeful that Chupa Chups would play a key role in its long-term plan to build higher price points (Rs 5, Rs 10 and above) in the category.
Initially, the confectionary brand is focusing on the larger towns. It will be extending the launch to lower pop strata in the coming months. Also, there are plans to place all three formats gradually in the stores to increase depth of distribution and gain brand visibility in the outlets.
The fact that confectionery as a segment operates at lower transaction points does make the task of innovation that much more challenging, says Kapoor. However, innovation is key to increasing consumer interest in the category. The brand is continuously looking out for consumer relevant new product formats, flavours and convenient packaging. And, the new offerings under the Chupa Chups brand are another step in this direction of building the category in India.
