Mumbai: FMCG company Empire Spices and Foods Ltd (ESFL) known for its flagship brand Ram Bandhu, has roped in Bollywood superstar Madhuri Dixit-Nene as brand ambassador to promote its pickle and papad product range across offline and online mediums.
The latest campaign “Aapka Taste Partner”, conceptualised by Betel Leaf Communications, encapsulates the wide range of pickle & papad variants to win a coveted space in the target consumer’s mind in a very simple and effective manner. The association with the actor comes at a time when the company is on a mission to expand its business and is reaching out to new markets. The company offers a wide range of products used in daily household consumption by the masses like pickles, papads, spices, ketchup, sauces, pastes and chutneys.
The campaign is supported by a 360-degree approach, leveraging TV, out-of-home, digital and social platforms.
The partnership is expected to provide a revered face to the brand’s philosophy as the actor personifies the brand’s ethos of quality and innovation which have been the pillars of the brand’s success in the pursuit of culinary ecstasy over the years, the company said in a statement.
ESFL, chairman, Hemant Rathi shared, “Our presence is spreading across India and this endorsement will help our brand to connect better with the users in both urban and rural areas. We wanted our brand ambassador for our pickle and papad categories to be someone who represents our target consumer group aptly, and who better than Madhuri Dixit Nene who is a working mother in her personal life and a well-known Bollywood actress who is popular across India, and even across generations, and overseas as well with a robust image just like our brand."
The campaign draws its inspiration from the fact that human beings are inherently social creatures and in general value relationships over other things in life. Hence the importance of one’s life partner in one’s life is substantial followed by the other different types of partners like one’s work partner, room partner, mischief/fun partner, business partner, travel/tripping partner, gossip partner etc. By communicating ‘Ram Bandhu’ as a partner it helps to personify the brand instead of projecting it merely as a beneficial wondrous product.
Speaking about the association Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit-Nene shared, “Everyone has grown up eating pickles or achaar and it has strong memories attached to it, sometimes it’s the love of a grandmother, or warmth of a mothers touch. My association with the campaign “Aapka Taste Partner” reminded me of my childhood days when eating pickles and papads were an experience in itself! I am excited to be a part of a campaign by such a respected and loved brand like Ram Bandhu.”
ESFL, managing director, Umesh Rathi shared, “There is a huge opportunity of growth in the pickle and papad market in India. Ram Bandhu is one of the leading brands in both the papad and pickle categories across India when it comes to household consumption. We have always been believers of adapting with changing tastes, trends and technology. Our motto is “dil jeeto har grahak ka” and our aim is to be present in every kitchen of India and become an inseparable part of the culinary setup of every household in India”
“Our aim was not to sell the concept but to make the concept sell the brand," explained Betel Leaf Communications creative head, Rishi Upadhyay.
Oberoi IBC managing director and the Clcreative producer of the TVC campaign, Anand Oberoi added, “The ad is witty, looks classy and is well-made, and establishes the point that Ram Bandhu is not just a maker of food products but is personified as an evergreen partner in the target consumer’s life when it comes to matters of taste and good food."
