MAM
Himalaya unveils new TVC for purifying Neem face wash
BANGALORE: The Himalaya Drug Company has released its latest television commercial for its product Purifying Neem Face Wash.
The new ad shows the frustration girls face when trying to get rid of ‘skin trouble‘. The story is told in a light-hearted manner.
The young girl in the TVC chooses bizarre props like sunglasses the size of a spaceship to big earrings in a quest to conceal her skin problems. Nothing works and the girl is left feeling miserable.
In the end, her friend steps-in to give her useful advice – Try Himalaya‘s Purifying Neem Face Wash. The final shot shows the girl with clear skin, looking confident, and enjoying admiring glances from a young boy.
The TVC follows a similar narrative to the earlier commercial for Purifying Neem Face Wash, which showed a young girl dealing with her skin troubles by locking herself in her room, wearing a funny hat and experimenting with home remedies.
This time around, the treatment of the ad is very different – it looks fresh, modern, chic and speaks to the discerning consumer, the company said.
The Himalaya Drug Company business head – consumer products division Rajesh K said, “When we spoke to a group of young women to understand what they described as ‘beautiful‘, the common answer was ‘good, healthy skin‘ and one of their biggest concerns was skin trouble. While the new TVC dramatises the different things a girl does to mask her skin problems, the emotions she experiences are very real. The ad highlights this problem in an amusing way and then introduces Himalaya‘s Purifying Neem Face Wash as the ideal solution for skin troubles.”
The creative agency that has worked on the campaign is Meridian Communications (now called Soho Square).
Soho Square head Shenaz Bapooji said, “The earlier Purifying Neem Face Wash commercial was a hit because of the honesty in storytelling. It was quirky and endearing, at the same time it brought out the product message clearly. It worked well for the brand. We wanted to retain that warmth of the original story but also liven it up for the young, discerning audience of today.”
The TVC is directed by Gajraj Rao of Code Red Films, whose previous work includes ads for Cadbury Eclairs, Aman ki asha and Zandu chawanprash.
AD Agencies
Prakash Nair reportedly quits Ogilvy after 23 years
One of the agency’s longest-serving leaders has moved on, with his next destination still unknown
MUMBAI: After more than two decades at one address, Prakash Nair has left the building. The president and head of office, north at Ogilvy has moved on from the agency, according to highly placed industry sources. His next move remains unknown. Ogilvy did not respond to requests for comment.
Nair spent over 23 years at the agency, making him one of its longest-serving senior figures. He was elevated to lead the Gurugram office in April 2022, a role that put him at the helm of Ogilvy’s northern operations at a time of considerable churn across the advertising industry.
Before taking charge in the capital, Nair served as associate president at Ogilvy Mumbai, where he worked on some of the agency’s most prized accounts, including Mondelez, Tata Motors, and BP Castrol. Over the years, he built a reputation for driving modern, integrated, and award-winning work, the kind that wins metals at Cannes and keeps clients from straying.
His departure was marked in style. A farewell gathering was held in Delhi, attended by senior figures from across the advertising fraternity, a signal of the regard in which Nair is held in an industry that does not always pause to say goodbye properly.
Where he goes next is the question the industry is now asking. After 23 years at one of the world’s most storied agencies, the answer, when it comes, will be worth watching.
