We aim to strengthen our bond with GenZ with new Limonata campaign: Tushar Malhotra

Bisleri International has announced Bollywood actor Aditya Roy Kapur as the new brand ambassador for Limonata and has launched a new campaign – #DoubleTheChill. Adgully spoke to Tushar Malhotra, Director of Sales and Marketing, Bisleri International, to know more about the creative process behind the campaign. Malhotra also speaks about emerging consumer trends, especially in the summer soft drink portfolio, and how Bisleri is leveraging them; the various marketing channels; tactics for the #DoubleTheChill campaign; the brand’s expansion into the UAE market; sports marketing initiatives; and much more.

Bisleri is a brand that is synonymous with packaged water. Could you share insights into Bisleri’s creative journey and how the brand has evolved over the years?

The mantra for Bisleri is hydration. We aim to own the hydration space in India, especially targeting Gen Z. Our “Drink It Up” campaign with Deepika Padukone makes drinking water cool.

We’ve formed hydration partnerships with IPL and Indian Super League teams, marathons, and various sports events. Sustainability is crucial, embodied in our “Greener Promise” with “Bottles for Change” for recycling education and “Project Nayi Umeed” for rainwater harvesting. We’re a plastic-neutral and water-positive organization.

Our e-commerce campaign, including the Bisleri@Doorstep app, is growing rapidly. We’re also expanding internationally, with a recent launch in the UAE.

What has been the growth strategy for Bisleri’s carbonated soft drinks portfolio, and how does Limonata fit into this strategy with #DoubleTheChill campaign featuring Aditya Roy Kapoor?

If Bisleri is about hydration, the carbonated soft drink category is about refreshment. The two crucial factors for consumers in this category are taste and imagery. Limonata stands out with its unique blend of lime and mint, offering a refreshing taste. The “Double the Chill” campaign, featuring Aditya Roy Kapoor, celebrates this distinctiveness. Aditya’s easy-going charm and strong Gen Z following (3 million Instagram followers) make him an ideal brand ambassador. The witty campaign, including an interaction with Chunky Pandey, is primarily digital, aiming to connect with Gen Z. So, I think the synergies between Aditya and Limonata as a brand were great and hence, we decided to go ahead with him as a brand ambassador.

What are your criteria for associating with a celebrity, and what was the objective behind partnering with Aditya Roy Kapur for this campaign?

When a brand chooses a celebrity, the key is to ensure the celebrity’s core philosophy and imagery align with the brand’s message. For example, Deepika Padukone was ideal for Bisleri, as her stylish persona made drinking water cool. Similarly, for Limonata, the brand needed the coolest Bollywood actor, and Aditya Roy Kapoor perfectly fit the bill. The campaign messaging and the celebrity’s fit with the brand’s image are crucial for a successful partnership.

Which agency did Bisleri partner with for executing the #DoubleTheChill campaign?

I’m proud to say that this campaign was conceived entirely in-house. We have a strong creative team that handled the entire creative conceptualization and execution. While we conducted consumer research to gather insights, the campaign development and implementation were all done internally.

Could you discuss current consumer buying trends in India, particularly among the younger audience, and how Bisleri is leveraging these trends to market Limonata?

When it comes to the carbonated soft drink portfolio, taste is crucial. Consumers seek unique flavours. For instance, Bisleri Lemonade combines lime and mint, Bisleri Pop offers a fizzy orange drink with a distinctive citrus flavor, and Spicy Jeera taps into the growing popularity of jeera. Rev, our cola brand, remains a classic. Our diverse and unique flavor portfolio appeals to Gen Z. Our campaigns aim to entertain and resonate with Gen Z, offering them a break from life's stresses and something relatable and enjoyable.

What marketing channels and strategies will you use for the #DoubleTheChill campaign, and how will you measure its success?

If you look at the media landscape today, it is not a one-horse race anymore. There are various mediums available. This will primarily be a digital-first campaign, as most Gen Zs are on mobile or connected TV. Digital will play the biggest role in disseminating this campaign. Alongside the TVC, there will be many quirky reels with Aditya Roy Kapoor. Experiences will also be a big part, with activations at college fests and music concerts like Lollapalooza. The campaign will also air during the T20 World Cup for mass awareness, and trade efforts will include dealer boards and truck branding. It’s an integrated, digital-first campaign.

Since you mentioned at the start of our conversation about the sports partnership, sports marketing series, could you elaborate on what new developments we can expect to see in the upcoming months or year?

We just had one of the most successful IPL campaigns, where we were hydration partners for Bangalore, Gujarat, Mumbai, Delhi, and Rajasthan. And we had one of the largest integrated media campaigns rolled out.

We had crores of limited edition bottles with each of our partner franchises. We were present during the IPL on TV as well. It was a unique spot that we’ve taken just before the beginning of the second innings with Star.

We also had a significant presence in trade with extensive POSM activities, on-ground consumer experiences, and vending outlets. Our coolers and ice boxes were showcased in the dugout, captured on TV. Additionally, our digital content with partner teams and players garnered millions of views and engagement, making it a fully integrated campaign.

And we’ve also had the Bangalore marathon recently, where we had Nikhil Chinnappa come in as an influencer for us. So, we’ve got ultimate table tennis coming on right now, and then we’re moving on to the other marathon seasons and we’ve got a host of other sporting tie-ups and another big tie-up which we will be announcing soon.

You mentioned that Bisleri is also expanding into the UAE. Would you like to speak about it in depth?

The UAE is a perfect synergy for us to launch because of the huge Indian diaspora already present there. So, there’s almost instant recognition for the brand. We launched last year with a limited edition pack of ‘Jawan’, in fact.

We’ve also rolled out our “Drink It Up” campaign featuring Deepika Padukone there. We’ve sponsored the Dubai Marathon, the Russell Kima Marathon, and multiple teams in the Dubai ILT20, extending our sports marketing campaign there as well.

Deepika is also part of our product packaging there, so we are very bullish and confident about that market. Sales have been good for us, and overall, it adds to our international appeal.

Are there any future campaigns or product innovations on the horizon for Bisleri that you can share with us? How does the company plan to continue engaging with its audience in the coming years?

We’ve got Gen Z as our primary focus in terms of communication, and we’ll continue to bring out exciting content and partnerships. It’s not just about one conversation today with youth; there are multiple topics we want to discuss.

We have our “Drink It Up” campaign alongside our sports marketing efforts. We’re also focusing on sustainability, e-commerce, and limited editions tied to movies.

In the past, we’ve done around 13-14 limited editions with movies like ‘Jawan’, ‘Ek Tha Tiger’, ‘RRR’, and ‘Jailer Vikram’, especially in the South, where this type of marketing is crucial. We’re covering all angles for consumers and will keep engaging with them.