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Selling points: Memorable mascots in Indian ads

Published on: Jun 15, 2019, 18:05:34 IST
Hindustan Times | By
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From the Onida devil to the Liril girl, a look at those that sold best.

The Nirma girl: With her twirling, skirt spread out, this child of the 1980s gave the Gujarat detergent company great brand recall.

The Onida devil: As a spate of TV brands struggled to make their mark, ad man Gopi Kukde shed talk of design and tech and instead created ‘Neighbour’s Envy’, a naughty horned devil played by David Whitbread that instantly resonated with the aspirational urban middle class in 1990s India.

Lalita Ji: Surf’s game-changing mascot in the 1980s was the quick-smart housewife who knew the value of every rupee. The story goes that Alyque Padamsee created her after watching his mother haggle with the grocer for a tiny sum just after the family had bought a car. It wasn’t about the sum, she reportedly explained. It was about value for money.

Liril Girl: Tasked with selling a lemony fresh soap in 1975, Alyque Padamsee decided to create a fantasy woman who would test the definition of acceptable family viewing. His ‘Liril Girl’ looked into the camera with a smile full of innocence as she bathed under a waterfall, dressed in a bikini. The original model was Karen Lunel; more recent ‘Liril Girls’ have included Deepika Padukone, Preity Zinta and Pooja Batra.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rachel Lopez

Rachel Lopez is a a writer and editor with the Hindustan Times. She has worked with the Times Group, Time Out and Vogue and has a special interest in city history, culture, etymology and internet and society.

Explore the latest Lifestyle News on health, fashion, travel, relationships, food and festivals. Find useful tips, expert advice, trends and inspiring stories for everyday living.
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