From HUL, Welspun to Marico, brands practise the human touch at Kumbh

Boats with nets strung to its side picked up trash from the river, drums strapped on to bicycles and powered by people stepping on the pedal washed visitors’ clothes, inflatable lice-monsters spread the message of hygiene and tea-vending booths doubled up as recycle bins—these were some of the ways that brands sought to spread the message at what has been widely labelled as the world’s largest human congregation, the Kumbh Mela that came to a close on Monday. 

Cleanliness is a national movement and a key concern at any public event that draws people in such large groups, which makes it a point of instant connection with the crowds, said nearly all the brands present at the mela. Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) used the cleanliness platform to push its corporate brand. Called ‘Swachhata ki sawari’, (the cleanliness ride) HUL mobilised 100 boats to ferry travellers to and from the point of confluence of the rivers. The boats had nets attached to their sides which, when set upon the river, opened up and collected the floating garbage. 

The company’s spokesperson said that such events offer a great opportunity to take the message to consumers in a creative and impactful manner. “Today, consumers are increasingly demanding responsible business and responsible brands. Activities like these go a long way in building relevance and salience for brands,” he added.

HUL also designed on-the-ground experiences for some of its product brands. The soap brand Lifebuoy, for instance, was used to label thalis (plates). Called ‘Swasthya chetna thalis’, (cleanliness awareness plates) they were inscribed with the message “Kripaya pehle sabun se haath dhoyein” (please wash your hands with soap before a meal). Brooke Bond Red Label had tea vending machines that collected recyclable trash. 

Wheel, the detergent brand, installed ‘Wheel Wash-o-Cycle’, where a drum attached to a stationary bicycle turned into a washing machine when people pressed down on the pedal. Visitors had to fill the drum with the water provided, add detergent and clothes and start pedalling. Geometry Encompass, the agency that conceptualised and executed some of the projects for HUL, claims that over 30,000 devotees washed over three lakh clothes during the Kumbh. 

Welspun launched a new range of towels at the mela, hoping to find its way into the mass market with this range. The event has served as a perfect launch pad for brands in the past too, as it helps brands find the largest mass of people at one place. This allows brands to not just familiarise potential consumers with their labels but also test out new products.

It helps when brands tie their promotions around a cause. "I always believe in purpose-driven campaigns,” said Shankar Shinde, managing partner, Geometry Encompass. He worked with HUL on some of the activations and added that these are not high investment, but popular ideas.

This year, the fair also attracted a large number of young visitors. According to surveys conducted by Ixigo, a travel and hotel booking firm, almost 66 per cent of Indian millennials (15-35 years) said they were visiting the mela. This helped drive crowds to a Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) stall with “Swavalamban” (independence) as the key theme. The tagline asked people to find their entrepreneurial zeal with a dip in the Ganga. 

Marico targeted women and young girls for its anti-lice hair-wash brand Mediker. Koshy George, chief marketing officer, Marico said that they distributed branded towels to bathers and tied up with 100 lodges near Maha Kumbh to place the shampoo in washrooms and had “a life-size walking inflatable lice character called ‘Ju –Raja’ (lice king) to speak to children and parents about hygiene.”

Apart from consumer brands, the local and central government too made the most of the opportunity presented by the fair. The area was strewn with posters about numerous health, welfare and education campaigns. Life size images of Prime Minister Modi were also prominently visible across the area. 

For the mela that attracted close to 20 crore people this year as per state government reports, branding and promotion appears to have been as crucial a  part of the proceedings, as was absolution for the faithful.