In the latest twist to the ongoing detergents war, Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has just launched an aggressive television campaign titled ?Rin Safedi ki Challenge? on channels across the country. HUL has roped in cine star Kajol to feature in its new communication for Rin. ?Are you ready for the Rin Challenge? If you win, you get Rs 1 crore as prize money,? says Kajol in Rin?s new commercial.
Interestingly, HUL?s new TVC opens with the shot of ?Rin Research Center? where two housewives are invited to take part in the Rin challenge. ?In the new HUL commercial, the rival brand is not named as it was in the earlier one,? said an industry analyst in Mumbai.
When contacted by FE, an HUL spokesperson said: ?We firmly believe that Rin delivers superior whiteness vis-?-vis competing brands in the market. The Rs 1 crore challenge advertising campaign brings alive the Rin?s superior value proposition to its consumers in a distinct and engaging manner. The challenge is based on established testing protocols.?
Battle lines were drawn in the detergents market recently when HUL beamed an aggressive TV commercial which compared P&G?s Tide and HUL?s Rin. P&G took the matter to the Calcutta High Court, which passed an ad interim order restraining HUL from continuing with the advertisement.
Meanwhile, P&G has increased the grammage of its new launch Tide Naturals (200& 500gm packs) by 25% without increasing price in the first week of March. Three months ago, HUL had reduced prices of Rin bar (200g) from Rs 12 to Rs 10 and of 100g from Rs 6 to Rs 5. HUL and P&G are now turning their attention to high-voltage ad campaigns to gain mind and market share in the Rs 4,500-crore branded detergents sector. Rs.10 and of 100gm from Rs.6 to Rs.5 three months ago.