Kumbh Mela becomes a paradise for advertisers

According to Hindu mythology, Devatas (Gods) and Asuras (Demons) fought for years, on a lot of things. One such thing ' that's also been hailed as the main reason for all clashes ' was the pot containing nectar of immortality (Amrit), called Kumbha. The origin of Kumbh dates back to the time when Amrit was recovered from Samudra manthan.

A fight ensued for the possession of Kumbha and Devatas fought Asuras for 12 days and nights (equivalent to 12 human years). During the battle, it is believed, that Lord Vishnu flew away with the Kumbha and spilled the elixir at four places ' Prayag, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik.

Why am I talking about mythological things here? Because it is prevalent even today. Kumbh Mela is the largest religious gathering of people anywhere in the world, and Haridwar hosted the Purna Kumbh Mela from 14 January 2010 to 28 April 2010. So? So it gives an opportunity to the horde of companies to get cracking at their advertising modules. Where else would you find a crowd of more than 2.75 crore, in one place?

Purna Kumbh takes place every twelve years. So this event was marketed to clients as an opportunity once in 12 years to get prominent attention and establish a connection with the occasion and visiting pilgrims across urban and rural India. The opportunity provides with a platform to gain access to large sections of otherwise hard and expensive-to-reach people from the hinterlands.

The sole marketing rights of major advertising mediums in Mahakumbh Haridwar belong to Impact Communications. Impact told Adgully that "with previous experience of Ardh Kumbh Haridwar, hoarding medium was not at all recommended as this medium is extensively used by Sadus and Babas for Akharas and for brands it would have been adding itself to clutter."

In static visibility signage with direction pointers for pilgrims and head-on visibility mediums like gates and hot air balloons, rotaries were used. The Kumbh Mela 2010 offered a 5-crore consumer attraction opportunity utilized to the fullest by brands belonging to diverse sectors like FMCG, telecom, agriculture and construction.

Companies like Perfetti advertised their Alpenliebe and Centerfruit brands through interactive games, inflatables and stalls. FMCG major, Dabur, connected with its TG with nine "Welcome' gates and through stall based activities. The oral care division (Babool and Lal Dantmanjan) delivered its brand story through puppetry, while the hair-care division (Amla oil and Total Protect) give hair wash and head massage in stalls. The mosquito repellent division (Odomos) distributed free samples. A Dabur van was going around in the Mela, offering Dabur products at discounted rates.

Henkel carried out its on-ground activities for three of its brands ' Margo, Check and Henko ' through discounted price and free sampling. As an activity to enhance product reach and experience, sales representatives went to various areas of the Mela, offering free samples near lodges and Akharas. There were also Bhajan contests in stalls, stilt man, walking-product inflatable.

Reckitt advertised two of its brands ' Mortein and Dettol ' through stalls, walking inflatables, signages etc. while GD Pharma too utilized the same mediums to promote Boroline and Suthol brands. ITC made use of rotaries and air-inflatables to gain eyeballs for its two brands, Sunfeast and Superia while rival Proctor & Gamble opted for stalls and demos to market its Tide and Gillette brands. In a bid to strengthen the recall for the brand, HLL, for its brand Taaza, gained visibility through 100 Signage and ten product-inflatables.

Telecom players like Idea, Vodafone, Nokia and Uninor were out in all their force to cash in on the event.

There were other respected brands like Ultratech Cement, Sony TV, Kodak, Nokia, KBL Pumps and Texmo Industries that made use of all options available to reach out to the masses in as effective a way as possible.