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Chai Garam Chai. Tea is my favourite hot drink. It rejuvenates and recharges and helps you remain awake- and it comes in all possible formats- so much so that you can often define how you want your tea. It can be strong- in truckers’ language – 100 KM tea- or the silver service tea with a touch of milk. You could have it with sugar, sugar-free, with Jaggery, salt or even butter. There is Tapri-waali chai people swear by and some prefer the cutting khullad tea at the station. Everyone has their own favourites. And while we are at chai- let me suggest you read the KHYAALON KI TAPRI– a poem collection by Meraj Hasan ‘Meem’ best enjoyed over a cup of cutting chai.
I love a well-made tea; however, I have toned down my consumption with age. My weakness for tea is well known among friends and relatives. but the whole family knows my weakness for tea. I love strong tea, where the tea leaves have been allowed to boil for some time in the water that has mashed Ginger pieces. In the last three decades, I moved from Taj to Bagh Bakri to Brooke Bond Red Label and settled for Society Masala tea. Each has its own taste.
TEA BRANDS.
The tea category in past has done some great advertising that I can watch repeatedly. All about awakening the body-mind and soul, initiation or re-building of relationships and more.
However, I was a bit surprised at the lack of advertising by tea brands during this election. Even though the election states are major tea consuming markets.
Were the brands playing safe? Not that I am aware of some ground-level activation.
I see Anoop Nautiyal and Abhilash Khandekar lamenting on Twitter about the low voting percentage in my native state- Uttarakhand. And, I think that Tea brands have missed an opportunity there.
My respect for tea brand advertising started from the Lipton Tiger tea time– the kadak chai– and the tiger in the woods. At that time, I did not know how ads were filmed, and this one was as kadak (macho) as a tea brand could get.
Tata Tea The True Awakening.
TATA TEA took on Election and Corruption in its stride. One of the few commercials that one can watch again and again. And the best part, they still make sense and are relevant to the situation.
The one ad was about the voter asking the candidate for his qualification- and the brand suggesting ‘subah Utho Nahi Jago’ left its mark. Then the brand took the subject to a new situation like the Airport, where ‘Yeh mahashay Nahi jaantey yeh Kaun hai’ brought a smile to the faces of the audience, appreciating the thought.
And I do think that some of us could have, if possible, shared this SOOCH BADLO ad by the brand in this election. If not the tea brand, the state of Uttarakhand does need such communication. It could have helped awaken the sleeping voters.
Abhi Alarm Baja Nahi Hai ad by Tata Tea openly challenged and took the subject head-on. The national situation at that time provided a perfect context for the call for action. However, one must say that nothing has really changed, and the ad still remains relevant for the category, contextually and conceptually.
And, of course, the brand’s simple response to the Chai-paani call was equally relevant. I am not sure how much the situation has changed in this context. However, if I am to believe what I read and hear. In that case, Chai Paani is still in the system, and the communication is relevant.
BROOKE BOND- BONDING TOGETHER
Brooke Bond has been a brand that took on the idea of reconciliation and fair judgement, ethical values and awakening of a different type. The Brooke Bond Prejudice ad was one such example.
Brooke Bond did the Father and Son Khumb ad a few years back. It was a simple storyline with much simpler non-intrusive product brand integration that touched you emotionally.
Brooke Bond took the ‘Swaad Apnepan ka’ to a new level of acceptance of live-in couples. A subject that was still much taboo at that time.
Brooke Bond Red label extended the game of these relationships with their secularism ad- between neighbours from a different community. The resistance, the hesitation and the final tipping were well captured. And then they another ad along similar lines of two friends with varying restrictions of communities- ‘Swaad Apnepan ka- Maa Ko Sorry Bol Dungs’.
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Bagh Bakri Relationship
Bagh Bakri took on husband-wife relationships to a new level of explanation and adjustments. Both the ads are well made for their time, and well, even at the cost of repeating myself – they are still relevant.
Bagh Bakri also had a series of three films – Doosto Waali Chai, Sister Waali Chai and Papa Waali chai. Each picking on one relationship and linking it to the collective sharing of tea. There was also one National integration film– with tea as the link- but it was too soft for kadak tea lovers.
Not everyone’s cup of tea.
Yes, I miss this contextually purpose-led communication by the brands. Can these not be redesigned and calibrated? Why do brands move out of such excellent associations? Must every proposition be killed after some time? Does it compulsorily become stale? Or do we creatively fail to inject the newly evolved context to deliver equally impactful communication?
The above three brands are examples of finding a nice space- which is relevant and strongly associated with the category- and then they seem to have moved on.
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