Reinventing act: Cinthol looks to forge an emotional connect with new ad

This is among the most busy consumer products markets and category advertising has long performed the twin task of conveying glamour while being hardworking as well. Since there is very little product differentiation, brands also have the onerous task of reinventing themselves from time to time to stay top of mind. That is also the primary task of a new advertisement for Cinthol soap, which has been released primarily for the south markets. To begin with, the ad appears in Tamil and Telugu.

The film focuses on the brand’s philosophy of living a life full of experiences. To be able to do that all you need is a confident skin, which is unaffected by everyday heat, dust and pollution, says the brand. “Being the oldest brand in the category, consumers are more or less acquainted with our 75-year-old journey. Indeed, the quality of Cinthol Original hasn’t changed since the time it was first introduced sometime in 1951-52,” says Sunil Kataria, CEO (India & SAARC), Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. 

The soap market in India stands at Rs 170 billion and is growing at 2-3 per cent (in volume) and 4-5 per cent (in value). In contrast, Cinthol has grown in double digits, says Kataria without divulging the exact numbers. “In Tamil Nadu, our household penetration stands at a whopping 65 per cent,” he adds. According to Netscribes, the market for soaps in India is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.5 per cent during FY 2016 to FY 2022. Soaps, as a product category, enjoys has the highest market penetration in India, covering more than 80 per cent of the country’s urban as well as rural households. Given that penetration, it is easy to see why brands have to work continuously to keep the excitement alive.

The film, crafted by Creativeland Asia, drives home the point that life’s milestones must be celebrated without any hesitation. It portrays two young girls preparing for their dance show (an arangetram or a debut on-stage performance for the Tamil language film; rangapravesam, a solo performance for the Telugu TVC). Post their dance rehearsals, the girls step out with their mothers to go around the city shopping for their big day even as they face the challenges of heat, dust and pollution. Enter Cinthol Original soap, which protects their skin against problems such as acne, blemishes, rashes etc and keeps their skin healthy and glowing on the day of their performance. 

“We have created a new character, Dr Amma, who has been appearing in our TVCs over the last few years,” says Anu Joseph, chief creative officer, Creativeland Asia, adding, “This time around Dr Amma recommends the soap to her daughter’s friend whose mother is worried that her daughter’s skin will suffer given the constant exposure to pollution, and won’t look her best during her arangetram”. The film takes cues from a traditional art form to make the campaign culturally relevant, engaging, and different from other communication in the category, says Joseph. But why a new campaign? According to Kataria, as consumers evolve with time, a brand too needs to change as per their needs. The coexistence of modern and traditional makes southern India stand apart from its northern counterpart. “They will not use a brand just for the sake of it. Everything is assigned a reason,” says Kataria.