Cola Wars
The Dual between Thumps Up-Pepsi has been, by far, the most fierce confrontation in the Indian market place. Some of the interesting yet lesser-known glimpses of the battle for the bottle:
Tata-Birla join hands
Amazing isn’t it; but it is true; the two legendary industrial houses have created a history of sorts by coming together probably for the first time in a business venture. The credit for this goes to Pepsi. The promoters of Lehar (Pepsi, Seven Up, Mirinda) in India are Pepsi Foods. One of three shareholders in Pepsi Foods is Voltas Ltd., a Tata Concern (the other two being Punjab Agro Products and Pepsico Ltd). The bottling franchise of these drinks in eastern India has been bagged by VXL Ltd., a Birla firm.
The costliest T.V. commercial
After four years of unstinted effort, when Pepsi finally received the green singal, it was expected that they would announce their arrival with a bang. And what a bang it was!
Last year, on Independence Day, Lehar Pepsi was launched on the television with a 90-second commercial `Let the magic begin. ‘ Even before the actual telecast of this ad, teaser spots had been flashing for over a fortnight on the tube. Telecast in the premium `Super A’ slot before the `Chitrahaar’, the ad was concieved and directed by the Celebrated Vidhu Vinod Copra of `Parinda’ fame. According to agency sources, the electrifying dizzy paced spot featuring pop star Remo Fernandes and cinestar Juhi Chawla cost a whooping RS 50/- lakh to produce, telecast time charges extra. Undoubtedly the costliest commercial on TV in India but nothing compared to the Michael Jackson spot promoting Pepsi in American and advertising contract of just 5 million US dollars.
Who’s promoting what?
Among the backers of the hiprofile chairman of Parle Export (manufacture of Thums Up, Limca, Gold Spot, Citra, Rim Jhim) Ramesh Chauhan are politicians Suresh Kalmadi and George Fernandes.. On the other hand, chairman Ramesh Vangal of Pepsi Foods is in the good books of Jagdish Tytler, the erestwhile minister of food processing’ in the Rajiv cabinet.
Whereas Pepsi has featured Remo, Juhi and Modonna in its promotions, Thums Up has banked on the appeal of Pooja Bhatt and Salman Khan. The `Choice of a new generation’, commercial of Pepsi has been produced by H.T.A. while `Taste the thunder’ campaign is the brainchild of Ambience. And yes! one celebrity heart throb has been caught promoting both- Kapil Dev!