Fanta gets playful

It’s that time of the year. Fizzy drinks of all hues are upping their ante to grab a bigger share of the market this summer. Inviting consumers to ‘Jump’, Coca-Cola India puts a new campaign for its bottled orange drink, Fanta, on air from Friday. The television commercial (TVC), conceptualised by Ajay Gahlaut, group creative director, Ogilvy & Mather, brings out how the taste of Fanta sparks fun, fun being the leitmotif of all Fanta commercials in recent years.

The TVC revolves around the exploits of 3D animated characters Gigi and Tristan. The film opens with Gigi down in the dumps when Tristan lands up with a bottle of Fanta. As he uncorks the bottle, their world metamorphoses—the air is charged with energy almost instantaneously.

The party comes to an end as soon as they run out of Fanta. But guess what, Tristan springs more Fanta on his audience and the fun times roll once again.

A simple idea but what is interesting is the fact that with this commercial, Fanta has jettisoned the “Zyada Fanta, Zyada Masti” platform it rode last year. The ZFZM campaign was part of a global roll out of the “More Fanta, Less Serious” approach which aimed to make the brand fun and attractive to the teen market across 190 countries. This global campaign was kick started with the debut of Fanta’s “Chase” commercial on “American Idol” in the US last summer.

Also there is no celebrity (actor Rani Mukerji and Genelia D’ Souza have promoted the brand earlier), no seduction, just a gentle nudge to consumers to grab the nearest Fanta bottle.

Cola-Cola officials urge that the new “Jump” commercial should not be construed as a break from the past. Rather it is aimed to take the “Zyada Fanta, Zyada Masti” campaign to the next level. So the new theme is “Taste that makes you jump” which aims to bring the spotlight back on the brand’s “bubbly taste”.

Says Anupama Ahluwalia, vice-president, marketing, Coca-Cola India & SWA, “Fanta is known for its taste and playful imagery. The new campaign urges consumers to enjoy the distinctive taste. Fanta has a unique place in the minds of consumers and we aim to strengthen this connect through this campaign.”

According to estimates, the orange-flavoured drinks have a combined market share of 15 per cent of the Rs 9,000 crore soft drink market. Fanta has about 9 per cent share of the overall soft drink market and follows Thums Up, Coca-Cola and Sprite in the Cola-Cola India portfolio. Its biggest competitor is Mirinda from Cola-Cola’s arch rival PepsiCo.

Traditionally, fresh lemon juice, or nimbu paani, is the most popular refreshment drink in the country, which also explains why the fizzy lime-lemon category is the fastest growing of all carbonated drink categories. Various estimates suggest this segment grew at 15-16 per cent last year, followed by the cola category at 12 per cent and orange-flavoured drinks between 7 per cent and 9 per cent.

Back to the campaign, youth being the key target group, Fanta has lined up a series of initiatives through an array of touch points including outdoor, radio, activation and social media. Along with the mass-media campaign, Fanta plans to engage with consumers through an on-ground activation in 42 cities across Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Assam, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Starting February 15, Fanta will kick off an experiential sampling initiative. As part of this initiative, consumers will get to experience Fanta through interactive games like trampoline, crystal ball, Fanta milestones etc.