BANGALORE: This is one marketer which has aggressive ambitions for the humble grain of rice. Karnataka-based Embee Agro Foods recently introduced basic rice under the brand name Embee. Hitherto, not many have dared to brand basic low end rice; they have preferred to focus on premium varieties such as basmati.
 
 
And Embee Agro is sparing no expense to get its brand name recognised by the denizens of Karnataka. The company has earmarked an initial spend of Rs 500,000 for airing ads on ETV Kannada and Udaya TV starting Ugadi, the Kannada New Year on 9 April. The effort is to focus on the retail housewife in Karnataka.
 
 
The 15-second Kannada ad features Embee brand Ambassador Shama Sanjay, a renowned Bharatanatyam dancer and actress, in the role of a housewife in a departmental store. In the ad, she prefers buying an Embee branded rice pack to an unbranded packet of rice offered to her by the store manager.
 
 
The ad has been created by a local agency - Chandra Advertising Agency, which is also the campaign manager for the brand. Approximately, Rs 2,25,000 have been spent by Embee towards the making of 10, 15 and 30 second clips on the same housewife theme, of which only the 15 second clip is being aired at present.