Armed with a Rs 150-crore budget for branding and advertising and a brand new couple to deliver its messages to consumers this year, the MIRC Electronics-owned brand, Onida, has finally buried its iconic devil, the decades-old mascot that had already seen one burial and resurrection earlier.
The decision came after the company felt that the devil, though powerful, was overshadowing the brand. The company will now promote its products through a young, new-age couple named Siddharth and Ritu in a new campaign developed by McCann Erickson. The ad tagline: Tumko Dekha Toh Yeh Design Aaya.
“Studies in the last few months led to the new campaign,” says G Sundar, CEO, MIRC. Adds Sriram Krishnamurthy, vice-president, marketing, sales and service, Onida, “The idea is to promote Onida as a more youthful and fun brand.”
The company, which has an 11 per cent market share in the TV category, is also looking at establishing Onida as a multi-category brand that also offers washing machines, DVD players, microwaves and other such products.
Brand consultants say that doing away with the mascot was a wise move, especially since India has moved ahead from the times when a TV set was an object of envy.
{{/usCountry}}Brand consultants say that doing away with the mascot was a wise move, especially since India has moved ahead from the times when a TV set was an object of envy.
{{/usCountry}}“This was long overdue. The devil was too closely associated with ‘envy’ as an emotion, which was relevant when it was created. Over the years, socio-cultural and economic trends have redefined the durables category, making ‘envy’ less relevant,” says Striped Adjani, director, Market Gate Consulting. Adds Dheeraj Sinha, Chief Strategy Officer, Bates141 India, “Moving ahead and being better than yourself is what defines today’s India better.”