A retro setiing. A new baseline. Himalaya’s new TVC sends out the message that repeat purchases can happen only if the product is tried out. By Surina Sayal.

The Himalaya Drug Company has come up with a new campaign after three years with a new baseline – Himalaya Sabse Pehle.

The new TVC opens up in a retro setting in the 1970’s, with a girl having skin problems on her cheek. A male VO – of Vijay Raaz – declares that to cure the ailment the girl will first ask her younger sister to grind some sandalwood for it; she’ll then ask her brother to send her skin creams from abroad. If that doesn’t work, she’ll hide her rashes with her hand, with her hair and on weekends when friends come over, she’ll hide under the bed. Eventually, he declares, she’ll remember Himalaya.

The TVC now shows her using a Himalaya product, which makes the rashes disappear and the girl happy and pretty again. The VO then goes on to ask, if she knew that the Himalaya product would work, why didn’t she try if first?

The tone of the ad is conversational. The idea is to highlilght that hundreds of complicated remedies can be discarded in favour of Himalaya products.

Padma Bhat, marketing manager, Himalaya Drug Company says, “Extensive market research established that though a majority of existing and potential consumers were aware of Himalaya products and their benefits, it was not the primary choice.”

The challenge, therefore, was to induce trials. “Once consumer tried our products, repeat purchase was a guarantee,” Bhat says.

Indrajeet Mookerjee, vice president, Meridian Communications, the agency that conceptualised the idea says, “The idea was to send a simple message to the consumer. Himalaya products are good and should be the first choice of the user.”

The brief given to the agency was four-fold. It should induce trials and increase consumer base. Secondly, the campaign should generate interest amongst the youth. It should speak their language and capture their experience. Thirdly, the advertisement should highlight the core value of the Himalaya brand, and lastly that the campaign should be a single brand idea, extendable to all the products and adaptable to various communication mediums.

The film was shot in Goa over tow days by Good Morning Films and directed by Shashanka Chaturvedi aka Bob.

Given Himalaya’s popularity in the north (especially its face wash products), the master language for the campaign is Hindi, though other language versions too are on the anvil. Himalaya also intends to take this ad forward through viral marketing and below-the-line activities.