Arch rivals Hindustan Unilever (HUL) and Procter & Gamble India (P&G) are now turning their attention to the R3,800-crore branded shampoos sector in India after waging an ad war in the detergents markets last year. To rejuvenate its flagship shampoo brand Clear, HUL has relaunched the brand with a high-voltage advertising campaign. With a tag line Sar pe haath rakh ke, Clear?s new ad campaign takes a direct dig at other shampoos that fail to remove dandruff completely from hair. In addition, HUL is also running on ground promotions in malls and multiplexes in Mumbai by setting up kiosks where free scalp tests for dandruff are carried out.
On the other hand, P&G India is betting big on film stars to promote its brands Head&Shoulders and Pantene that are endorsed by Kareena Kapoor and Shilpa Shetty in competitive markets.
With HUL?s new ad campaign hitting the media last week, other shampoo majors are expected to take action against HUL?s television campaign which shows how dandruff returns after washing with leading shampoos, predict industry analysts. Call it the clear case of comparative advertising. Last year, HUL had launched a comparative ad campaign with the ad line ?Dove is No. 1 Shampoo? to take on P&G?s Pantene’s relaunch advertising campaign in multi -media. Clearly, an ad war is brewing in the branded shampoos sector. When contacted by FE, a P&G spokesperson said, ?As per company policy, we do not comment on plans or competition.? According to a spokesperson from HUL, Clear’s new advertising campaign is being deployed across multiple media vehicles ? TV, print, OOH, in malls and in store.
Incidentally, HUL has not increased the price of Clear after the relaunch. On the rationale behind the relaunch of Clear, HUL spokesperson said consumers in India are not been fully satisfied with the current dandruff solutions as they believe that their current shampoos wash dandruff away but it keeps coming back.
?The relaunched Clear has been developed on a new technology that provides stronger dandruff efficacy. Besides, Clear offers customised anti-dandruff solutions for men and women in its range,? he said.