Campaign Logic: Upside down isn't always bad

Haier's campaign reiterates the user benefits of a bottom mounted refrigerator; it also focuses on design upgrades in the new range

Advertising narrative around home appliances and consumer electronics largely revolves around quality, features and safety. And if the product on offer is a refrigerator then the protagonist is usually a woman who would likely demonstrate how her device helps her store food hygienically, and keeps fresh fruits and vegetables ... well... fresh. When bottom–mounted refrigerators (BMR) (with the refrigerator part on top and the freezer at the bottom) came into the market some years ago the narrative shifted to “convenience” and “innovation”.
 
In its latest campaign “Ulteko Seedha”, Haier can be seen reiterating the user benefits of having a BMR in a household. The campaign takes forward the promise of a previous campaign “Jukna Mat”. The television commercial focuses on the life of a young couple where the wife is seen reproaching her husband for having dinner out of home. She points at the cooked food sitting on the top shelf and tells her husband that since ulta is the new seedha, it’s time for him to change and start eating home food more often.

 
Eric Braganza, president, Haier India, says a Haier BMR would cut down the need for women to bend down every time they reach for something in the refrigerator by placing the freezer, which is least used section in an Indian household, at the bottom. The communication also highlights Haier’s focus on improving visibility and accessibility in all the sections of the refrigerator.
 

Haier has launched the campaign to coincide with the festive season when people are more amenable to buying new household gadgets or upgrade to better products. The campaign has been executed by Famous Innovations. The challenge for the agency was to deliver a utilitarian message in a fun way. Shahnawaz Qadeer, creative director, Famous Innovations, says, “The film revolves around an everyday struggle between a husband and wife. We have used a slice-of-life parallel to demonstrate that fridges have now got their priorities right, while husbands continue to stay the same.”

 
In terms of product innovation, Haier has reduced the size of the freezer compartment so that the storage space available in the rest of the refrigerator is more. The company’s BMRs are available at a starting price of Rs 29,000 and goes up to Rs 50,000. While BMRs are yet to become commonplace, competition in this space is heating up with players like Samsung, LG and Godrej throwing their hats into the ring.
 
The refrigerator market in Indian currently stands at 11 million units per annum and about 50 per cent of this market is occupied by frost-free refrigerators including BMRs. Haier is on course to closing this calendar year with sales of 40,000 BMR units. The target is to double this figure in two year