THE NEWSPAPER THAT UNITED THE PRESS

Short List
TitleTHE NEWSPAPER THAT UNITED THE PRESS
BrandPARLE AGRO
Product / ServiceCAFE CUBA
CategoryA01. Mailings
EntrantCREATIVELAND ASIA Mumbai , INDIA
Entrant Company CREATIVELAND ASIA Mumbai, INDIA
Advertising Agency CREATIVELAND ASIA Mumbai, INDIA

Credits

Name Company Position
Sajan Raj Kurup Creativeland Asia Creative Chairman
Anu Joseph Creativeland Asia Executive Creative Director
Sanket Avlani Creativeland Asia Senior Creative Partner Art
Sreekumar Puthanveetil Creativeland Asia Creative Director
Girish Narayandass Creativeland Asia Creative Partner Copy
Radhika Sukthankar Creativeland Asia Creative Partner Art
Divyanshu Bhadoria Creativeland Asia Creative Partner Digital
Pranav Nayak Creativeland Asia Young Creative Partner Copy
Manaswi Mohata Creativeland Asia Young Creative Partner Copy
Kushal Birari Creativeland Asia Young Creative Partner Art
Sanuree Gomes Creativeland Asia Creative Partner Art
Mithun Rajam Creativeland Asia Young Creative Partner Art
Jay Gala Creativeland Asia Creative Operations Director
Sejal Shrotri Creativeland Asia Young Creative Partner Operations

The Brief

Brief/objective: In 1993, Parle-Agro was the biggest beverage player in India. An international cola-giant entered the market and bought out all their contract bottling-plants. Cornering them to sell their flagship brands and sign a non-compete-clause prohibiting them from producing carbonated-drinks for the next decade. 2014, Parle-Agro was re-entering the carbonated-drinks category with Cafe-Cuba. Positioned as The-Coffee-Revolution. For this sensitive launch, it wasn't about getting coverage, it was about getting the right kind of coverage. Our objective was to get a chosen few high-profile journalists in one room, make them feel the-coffee-revolution and unite them in one positive voice for Cafe Cuba.

Creative Execution

The strength of creative and originality came from the fact that we did not follow the usual launch blitz-filled response mailer or an event for this launch. In keeping with the whole revolution theme of the brand, both the invite and the event were appropriately designed to make all the people who were touched by the direct response campaign feel like they were a part of the revolution. From the newspaper that landed at their door step to the invite to the covert round-table we organised like they were revolutionaries in an intimate launch planning meeting.

Describe the creative solution to the brief/objective.

Strategy: To invite journalists we didn't just create a direct-mailer. We created a newspaper. Called La-Revolucion, in keeping with the idea 'Coffee-revolution'. Top 30 journalists were sent La-Revolucion as the invite for this covert launch-event. This newspaper was delivered at their doorstep with their usual morning newspaper. The front-page carried the respective journalist's picture with cleverly disguised personalized invite. The rest of the paper carried original, freshly written articles with clues to the revolutionary launch. And in tune with brand-idea of revolution the event was designed to feel like a covert planning meeting of revolutionaries and not the usual high-decibel one launch event.

Results

Results: For a medium that has an average response rate of less than 3%, one hundred percent responded to La Revolucion by attending the launch event. All media high profile attendees ran the story on the product launch. This led to every newspaper in the country talking about the revolution that is brewing. And the entry of Parle Agro into the carbonated drinks category after two decades. The printing and distribution of the invite costed us a meagre $1800. And the unassuming modest event another $3200. So, for a campaign that cost $5000, the media response generated was worth $2 million.