Mirinda has some 'galatta' with Pongal

Everybody knows that Pongal is the best time to indulge in fun and happiness in South India, and for Mirinda, this year, the harvest festival not only provided an opportunity to have some fun, but also take its brand proposition, Pagalpanti Bhi Zaroori Hai (Some Madness is Also Necessary), to the people of Tamil Nadu.

With this thought in mind, PepsiCo launched an on-ground activation called Mirinda Galatta Pongal on January 10. 'Galatta' means fun and craziness in Tamil. The activation will continue till mid-February.

Alpana Titus, executive vice-president, flavours, PepsiCo, tells afaqs!, “Tamil Nadu is a very important market for the orange flavour category. Amongst all the aerated drink flavours, this one enjoys the biggest market share in the state. Pongal being the biggest celebration in Tamil Nadu, we thought of a big activation to drive engagement with our consumers. What's more, our brand Mirinda has the best fit with the festival as both talk of fun and excitement.”

Sunny Vohra, business director, North, Group M, shares an insight on the activation, saying, “The Pongal festival provided the best fit for the activation and we were asked by the client to divide the entire programme so as to best bring out the fun and craziness of both the festival and Mirinda.”

Suryan FM employed its radio jockeys to tease the people of Tamil Nadu by letting them know that the Mirinda Galatta Pongal would soon hit six cities in the state – Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, Tiruchy and Tuticorin – to add fun and craziness to the celebrations.

People were guided by the RJs to the activity locations, where a number of improvised games and activities such as ‘uree’ hitting, earthen pot breaking, sugarcane breaking and crazy pot painting were taking place.

All the games and activities were adapted versions of games played during the Pongal celebrations, tweaked by Suryan FM to make them more exciting for the brand's target group. The outdoor activities were taken to listeners through outdoor broadcasts, making it possible for the campaign to touch a wide base of consumers.

Titus explains, “The on-air as well as on-ground games were Pongal centric and derived from the popular activities that are performed during the festival. These activities, done in conjunction with our radio partner, not only incorporated the traditions of the festival, but also brought out Mirinda's brand proposition to a satisfying level.”

Apart from driving sampling, the product was made visible by making it a part of the various activities. For instance, a game involved finding Pongal ingredients in huge pots filled with uncooked rice and jaggery, along with Mirinda cans, Mirinda bottles and confetti.

In Chennai, games related to Mattu Pongal were played. A life-size mock bull was created and people were asked to decorate it with their own crazy paintings. For radio listeners, a mock bull character was created along with numerous tongue twisters. The listeners were given fictitious situations related to Pongal and asked to give crazy explanations and endings to them. They were also asked to share their own crazy Pongal recipes and stories.

The activity culminated in a 10,000 sq. ft ‘kolam’ in Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai. Mirinda was sampled extensively at the venue and the participants in the games won prizes such as Levis' vouchers, bags and T-shirts.

While the on-air and on-ground part of the activation is over, one final – and the best – gratification is still waiting in the wings for all the participants. A lucky draw with the names of the winners of the various activities will be held and 15 lucky people will get a chance to meet actor Asin of Ghajini fame.

The activity drew a massive response from the consumers in each city, with an average of 2,000 to 3,000 footfalls per day and participation from 300 to 400 people on a daily basis.