How HUL nearly dropped Zakir Hussain from Taj Mahal Tea ads in 1995

New Delhi: In 1995, the Taj Tea brand was struggling to grow in its 30th year. I was the Marketing Manager, the talented Rukmini Gupte was the Senior Brand Manager, and Atishi Pradhan was the Account Planner from JWT.

We reviewed all consumer research, and consumers said, "The tabla player comes, plays the tabla, and says 'Wah Taj.'" There was a wallpaper effect. As a team, we decided to drop Zakir Hussain and tested about six new concepts with upcoming Indian maestros. Surprisingly, the verdict from consumers was clear—they felt Zakir was in a league of his own, and these new stars couldn’t match him.

I was in London and met with Unilever’s advertising guru, Michael Bronsten. He was shocked that we were considering dropping Zakir. He said, "You have no clue. You and the agency are getting wallpaper feedback because you’re producing wallpaper advertising."

That was the slap we needed!

Then, the team—Laurie Robertson, John Stuart, Atishi Pradhan, Deepa, Jagdip Bakshi, and Rukmini—got to work, creating new advertising that showcased Zakir’s flair and the magic of Taj Tea. We shifted the narrative from Zakir entering the Taj brand world to the brand entering Zakir’s world.

In the first relaunch ad, we featured an American reporter who uses Taj Tea to secure an interview with Zakir. When the Hindustan Lever board saw it, they didn’t like it. They said, "Taj is quintessentially Indian; why include a foreigner?" We stood by our concept, and the brand grew double digits for the next three years, at a 200-index price point compared to the industry average. Sanjay Khosla, our boss, believed in it and fully backed the idea.

Sanidhi Patel was his business manager. After the success of the relaunch, Zakir had dinner with a few senior Hindustan Lever managers. It was a fun evening—he was a great storyteller with incredible charisma.

A few years later, Zakir told me and Jagdip, "You guys did such a great job linking me to Taj that other brands now test my name for advertising, and consumers tell them, 'This is the Taj Ustad.'"

He never took any other offer.

He was as proud of the brand as we were of his legendary talent.

RIP, Ustad. We carry fond memories of the great magic you created in reviving the brand.