MUMBAI: As millions thronged Puri in Odisha for the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra that began on July 6, The Brand Brewery (TBB) – a leading experiential marketing agency – carried out two ground-breaking campaigns in the pilgrim town for two of India’s most trusted brands.
The campaigns carried out for Tata Salt and Dalda Edible Oils both supported the devotees in their journey to offer their obeisance to their favourite Lord.
Tata Salt: SehatkiChuski:
The first campaign aptly christened Sehat ki Chuski for Tata Salt is an inimitable idea that centres around the health of the pilgrims – a hitherto neglected aspect -- who traverse a 1.5 km stretch in the excruciating humidto witness the procession. Most of them end up severely dehydrated and the lack of drinking water only exacerbates the situation.
With this in mind, TBB conceived an innovative campaign for Tata Salt, that catered to more than a whopping 1 lakh pilgrims, and offered a real-time solution to keep them cool and energised during the procession. A dynamic team from Tata Salt positioned at key touch points of the main yatra route and distributed ‘Energy Pops’ which were special energy ice bars made up of Tata Salt, lemon, sugar and purified water.
The uniquely tangy pops were an astonishment for most people because their innovation took them by complete surprise even as they enjoyed the power-packed flavour on their palette. The fact that what looked like a popsicle could contain salt and yet taste so heavenly remained a big talking point for a large section of the pilgrims who were left in wonderment. In addition to being incredibly refreshing, the pops also helped them combat dehydration while replacing the lost salt content, improving water absorption in the body and providing extra vitality and energy. Most importantly, the pops were found to be extremely easy to consume and were tasty too. Multiple customised Tata Salt branded carts undertook the distribution.
Talking about the exclusive campaign, TBB founder and director Pradyumn Tandon said, “We wanted to create something around the occasion that goes beyond mere product sampling. While other aspects are taken care of, the basic health requirements of the devotees have to be looked at. Hence we came up with the idea of ‘Energy Pops’ which would help them maintain their energy levels despite the sweltering heat. People from all parts of the world travel to witness the Rath Yatra and we felt that this was a great way to connect with each devotee in their wish to be a part of this festival and provide an on-the-spot relief solution to make their experience stress free.”
The idea was such a raging success during the yatra that it has garnered promising potential to become a product in itself on the lines of some out-of the-box flavour ideas for popular ice cream brands.
Dalda Divya Darshan:
The second campaign for Dalda Edible Oils was another super success that aimed at making the rath yatra experience all the more special for devotees by helping them get a closer glimpse of their favourite Lord.
Considering that a massive crowd gathers during the yatra, TBB came up with a unique innovation where Dalda bottles were converted into telescopes which could be used by devotees to get a clear darshan of Lord Jagannath from a distance of over 400 to 500 metres which could not have been possible at such massive gathering. People end up going back homewithout being able to reach the rath or see the lord’s idol. The bottles named ‘Divya Darshan’ were given to thousands of happy devotees. This simple innovation brought smile to their faces and ensured a grand darshan of Lord Jagannath
Also under this campaign, World renowned Sand Artist Sudarshan Patnaik on board who created one of a kind life size sand art sculpture of the deity Lord Jagannath at Puri Beach which was on display on 6th July where Devotees also got a chance to click pictures with this beautiful piece of Art which they could share further with their loved ones.
Like this year’s Dalda Divya Darshan, TBB had another successful innovation that had debuted last year at the Rath Yarta. The campaign called ‘Bhajan Se Bhojan Tak’saw Dalda Edible Oils arranging as many as 2,000 specially packaged bottles ofprasad for the devotees. The prasad was a mix of uncooked rice and dal sourced from the temple along with nirmalya (dried mahaprasad) packaged in Dalda branded bottles as a souvenir of the yatra. The campaign was so successful that TBB was honoured with several awards for Best Innovation in Direct Marketing & Brand activation. It was continued this year too since it helped devotees to get prasad which not many can manage.
Commenting on the Dalda campaign, Tandon said, “At TBB, we always look at engaging people in different and subtle ways that help them experience the uniqueness of a brand. At the Rath Yatra, devotees come from far and wide just to seek darshan of the lord, but often many are left disappointed because there is no way they can cruise through the crowd to reach the rath. We wanted to be a part of their happy experiences as they get a chance to look at the lord and seek his blessings. This is how the idea of this divine campaign was born. Also, getting Prasad during this time is not easy and we wanted to see the happiness on people’s faces as they got it without much trouble and could carry it for their loved ones too.”
The two campaigns follow TBB’s pioneering campaign during the Kumbh Mela in Ujjain in the months of April and May 2016 for Tata Salt titled Shubh Bhojan Ki Shubh Shuruwat that had aimed at restoring the lost glory of salt and giving it its rightful place on the thaali while reiterating its health benefit. Said Tandon, “TBB has always come up with campaigns that have engaged people and enhanced their experiences. These campaigns at the Rath Yatra and Kumbh Mela were special because they were conducted at such important festivals in the country and they have been a great success.
