Is Thums Up's betting on Ranveer Singh wise for the campaign after Salman Khan ?
Even before it hits the airwaves, Thums Up's new campaign has a lot riding on it. There's a new face in charge of the daredevilry that's been the brand's calling card - Ranveer Singh who replaces long time endorser Salman Khan. The launch film has been directed by Simon West, famous for Bollywood blockbusters Con Air and The Expendables II. The billion dollar question, of course, is if a fresh star and a new campaign can help the brand break out of a category wide slump. 2016 has been a fairly traumatic year for carbonated soft drinks. A recent report in The Economic Times indicated a 15% decline in revenue year to March for PepsiCo at Rs 6256 crore. Coca-Cola's growth took a beating too: Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages which accounts for two-thirds of Coca-Cola's revenue, saw growth plummet from 13% a year ago to 8% with revenue of Rs 8,514 crore. More disturbingly, the last six quarters have seen single-digit growth for the industry, according to the report.
Coca-Cola is hoping to dispel at least some of the gloom surrounding the category its new push behind Thums Up. Not entirely new; the line Main Hoon Toofani is a holdover from its last campaign with Salman Khan. Explains Debabrata Mukherjee, vice president - marketing and commercial, Coca-Cola, "We moved to Main Hoon Toofani very recently. It's a good statement when you say the fire, the thunder is within and it resonates with people. Consumers don't get tired of lines, marketers do."
More than any other brand, it's been part of my childhood. Even before Coca-Cola, we had Thums Up. Taste The Thunder was the first tagline I would say as a child; it sounded so cool! I remember my dad was squash partners with Mr Ramesh Chauhan back in the day and when I was introduced to him, as the guy who makes Thums Up, I thought he was a total celebrity.
