LUX: MAKING OF A SUPERSTAR

TitleLUX: MAKING OF A SUPERSTAR
BrandHINDUSTAN UNILEVER
Product / ServiceTOILET SOAPS
CategoryB02. Consumer Products
EntrantMINDSHARE Mumbai, INDIA
Entrant Company:MINDSHARE Mumbai, INDIA
Media Agency:MINDSHARE Mumbai, INDIA

Credits

Name Company Position
Chantal Norton Mindshare Director
Devendra Deshpande Mindshare Partner
Vinay Hegde Mindshare Partner
Suresh Naik Mindshare Senior Director
Prerna Malhotra Mindshare Business Manager
Rekha Mahendra Mindshare Director
Amin Lakhani Mindshare Partner
Hans Mathews Mindshare Principle Partner
Sandeep Dingrani Mindshare Executive
Apoorva Shetty Mindshare Director

Results and Effectiveness

Result: (Source: Neilsen and Ormax research) “LUX” is a suitable brand to promote the “Hunt for film actress” activity scored 97%, strengthening the glamorous and beauty quotient for LUX Over 30 million viewers celebrated crowning the Lux Dream girl ‘Consideration’ (The only brand I would consider) for Lux increased by 42% Spontaneous brand awareness of LUX increased from 60 to 74% Retention rate amongst Lux users increased by 93% ‘Unaided recall’ of the sponsor name for the activity - LUX reached 90% The success gave us the client’s nod to hunt for the next superstar across India!

Creative Execution

The idea was converted into a 16-part reality TV show, with the IP rights owned by Lux & the agency. Phase 1 , Selecting the right partner: Gemini TV with a 20% share and strong local connect was chosen to telecast the megahunt to ensure wide reach through TV (90% penetration) Phase 2, Call for entries: Despite being the ‘first time ever’, we received an overwhelming response of 50 thousand entries in less than 2 weeks. The participation announcement was made by leading stars on TV, Print, Radio, Outdoor & Mobile to build buzz, credibility & seriousness. Phase 3, Audition and Selection 12 girls were shortlisted by Andhra movie-industry stalwarts including producers, cinematographers & choreographers. The girls were groomed, trained and put through tasks especially designed on Lux attributes like glamour, confidence, etc Phase 4, Crowning and gratification The winner was crowned the Lux Dream Girl and offered role of female lead in a movie opposite one of the state’s superstars (Vishnu Manchu)

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

Lux (soap), since inception in India, has been associated with beauty and filmstars. It has been the leading brand in ‘popular soaps’ for decades. Santoor soap started to challenge Lux’s market leadership with its strong south Indian credentials in Andhra Pradesh (A South India state, with 10% share of the national sales). While LUX’s Bollywood glamour divas worked in rest of India, they were losing relevance and appeal in Andhra, a market known for its strong local (Telugu) movie industry. Marketing objective: To re-establish LUX as the leading beauty soap in Andhra by strengthening its beauty & glamour equity. Insight: Though film stars were the primary inspiration in Andhra, despite the size of the industry, there were no indigenous stars, the industry lacked its own Superstar. Our strategy: Creation of LUX Dreamgirl, the first female Superstar of Andhra. The idea was to give the state its local superstar through a hunt to identify that one woman who could be the face of Lux in Andhra.