Himalaya steers away from 'fairness' proposition to clear skin

The campaign, conceptualised by Soho Square, highlights the different skin problems faced by young women and talks about how to get rid of them, instead of harping on 'fairness'

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Mumbai | August 25, 2014

Click on the image to watch the TVC.

The fairness cream market in India is under tight scrutiny after ASCI issued fresh guidelines on advertising for skin lightening and fairness products. Himalaya Drug Company, in its latest TVC for Himalaya Natural Glow Fairness Cream, has made an attempt to steer away from the 'fairness' proposition by building on the key message of 'It's not fair'. The commercial, created by Soho Square, highlights the different skin problems faced by young women and talks about how to get rid of them.

The TVC sends across the message that instead of feeling ashamed of one's dark skin colour, one should use the 'Himalaya Natural Glow Fairness Cream' which solves all skin problems and imparts a fresh look to the skin. The protagonist is a young 'girl next door', who loves to live life to the full and excel in what she does. But her skin faces challenges due to sun exposure and pollution. Her skin issues are resolved by the Himalaya product which brightens her skin complexion by clearing dark spots, dark circles and other skin blemishes, making it glow naturally.

The TVC was launched on key general entertainment channels in Tamil Nadu – Sun TV, Raj TV and Star Vijay – on August 20 and will be released in Uttar Pradesh next month.

C Ravikumar, Senior Creative Director, Soho Square, said, “The fairness cream market is known to be a very controversial and biased territory. So it was quite a challenge for the creative. We didn't want to sound like everyone else, exaggerating how fairness cream gives girls an edge over the others. Rather, we approached it by calling out the 'unfair' challenges a girl faces in her life and, in a subtle manner, highlighted the four benefits of the cream, which will help her regain her natural fairness and glow.”

Shenaz Bapooji, Creative Agency Head, Soho Square, added, “Himalaya, being a problem-solution brand, has always believed in laying the facts on the table for its consumers. What we've tried to do through the films is to educate people that Clear Skin = Fair Skin. Here was an opportunity to do something completely fresh in an otherwise cliché-driven category that serenades the colour of the skin over anything else. Our films showcase how the fairness cream, with its saffron and alfalfa ingredients, helps remove problems like dark circles, skin blemishes, dark spots, dull skin, and helps the skin glow, by protecting her skin's natural fairness.”

Anupama Shah, Group Product Manager, The Himalaya Drug Company, said,  “Our research has shown that increasingly consumers are using fairness creams for an even and blemish-free skin tone. Himalaya is known as a problem-solution brand, with strong equity in the face and skin care category. Our communication focuses on highlighting how our product delivers on its promise of resolving specific skin problems.”

The TVC:

https://img-cdn.thepublive.com/filters:format(webp)/

Credits:

Client: Himalaya Drugs

Agency: Soho Square

Senior Creative Director: C Ravikumar

Agency Head: Shenaz Bapooji

Copywriter: Rangaraj

Client Servicing Director: Anil Thomas

Senior Account Executive: Prajakta Porje

Production house: NativeWorks Productions

Director: Shrisha Guha Thakurta

Info@BestMediaInfo.com

Info@BestMediaInfo.com