Lalitaji samajhdar hai

It is not often that you see a brand highlight its ‘premium’ price tag, but when it does the action adds to its loftiness. This is precisely one of the biggest Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) brand showcased in its advertising campaign.

Although Surf had ventured the Indian FMCG market in 1959, it could not really compete Nirma’s monopoly in the market because of it relatively three times expensive product. It was around 1970s that the detergent industry in India was experiencing a change in perception from the consumers’ side.

From Nirma’s Hema, Rekha, Jaya aur Sushma to P&G’s Ariel, here is how Surf has ruled the turf of the market since decades through effective advertising communication

The average Indian had started understanding the importance of a better product over a cheaper one. As a comeback to Nirma’s campaign of relatively cheaper detergent in 1969, Surf had made ‘Lalitaji’ the face of change for India’s common woman. It is wonderful how Lalitaji singlehandedly gave a tough competition to Nirma’s ‘Hema, Rekha, Jaya aur Sushma’.

Unlike the latter ladies, Lalitaji was a smart and wise homemaker, who besides being conscious about her monthly budget was uncompromising on the quality of products her family used (which in this campaign was Surf).

Holding a monopoly in the market, Nirma did not keep numb and came up with Nirma Super, which was given a face by Deepikaji. Deepikaji pressed consumers to choose Nirma Super over Surf as it gave the same shine and conditioning to the clothes at a lesser price.

What was common in these campaigns was the pattern of advertisements. Both brands illustrated a common woman, gave her the voice of the brand and let her speak for them to appeal to the target audience (mostly homemakers). A clever amalgamation of testimony based direct marketing of products was seen, which was a lateral approach towards advertising in those days; it was simplistic and effective.

This was the genesis of one of the very first brand wars in India. The campaigns came shooting one after other and the brand wars went on. And before both the brands could get some breath, their global nemesis P&G (Procter & Gamble) entered the FMCG space in 1991 with its flagship detergent brand Ariel. Ariel gave a rather strong competition to Surf as it was too targeted to the premium segment.

The solution – Surf Excel was born. From now on, the market was no more a niche playing one; numerous big and small players had entered the industry with various categories of similar products, which eventually led to the evolution of Surf Ultra.

From product to product, Surf kept on getting quirkier in designing its advertising communication. Most of us will remember how Surf had reinforced its product’s effectiveness with the campaign “Daag Dhoondte Reh Jaaoge” (No matter how hard your search, you will not find stains).

With a colloquial pay-off line along with the character twirling his fingers while saying it, Surf had become a seasoned player in the industry. What’s more? Surf was not the only one who engaged in frequent brand wars, its sister brand Rin too engaged in brand wars with P&G’s Tide. Like brother, like sister.

By: Tushar Kalawatia