Grasim to splurge Rs 7 crore on 'Uncrushables'

Grasim Suitings, part of the Aditya Birla Group, has rolled out a range of winter fabric called Uncrushables. The USP of Uncrushables polywool suiting fabric, claims the company, is that it ‘can withstand a lot of wear and tear'. It is aimed at executives in the age-group of 25-45 years. The price of Uncrushables ranges from Rs 450/metre to Rs 2,500/metre. The fabric is available in 70 qualities and in more than 500 combinations of designs, colours and shades, claims the company.

Having taken on the plank of ‘power of fashion', the company is aggressively promoting its new brand for the young executive. It has earmarked an ad spend of Rs 7 crore for Uncrushables.

A 45-second ad film went on air on Monday, September 10. Conceived by O&M, it will be telecast on all ‘prime channels' including STAR Plus, ESPN-STAR Sports, Aaj Tak, Zee TV, Zee Cinema, Sony Max et al. In total, there will be 50 spots of Grasim Uncrushables on the national channels every day. The TV commercial will run for two to three months.

"What sets the film apart from the mundane Reid & Taylor or Raymond ads is the treatment of the subject. It is all about humour. The film revolves around a husband-and-wife pair caught in humorous situations," says S Krishnamoorthy, executive president, Grasim Industries (textiles division).

Apart from TV, the company plans to advertise on newspapers as well. It is looking at national and regional dailies like The Times of India, Hindustan Times, The Telegraph, The Hindu, Dainik Bhaskar, Ananda Bazaar Patrika, Punjab Kesri, The Tribune, Kumudam and Anand Vikatan. The company plans to supplement the campaign with extensive use of ‘impact creators' such as theme kiosks, banners, danglers etc.

The Grasim brass is pretty upbeat about the new range and hopes that it will replicate the success of Aquasoft, the summer fabric launched six months ago. "We expect sales of Rs 15 crore from Uncrushables in the next six months." Krishnamoorthy's confidence rests on the assumption that Uncrushables will find a ready client base among busy executives essentially because the fabric does away with the hassle of maintenance.

"Uncrushables is a result of months of extensive R&D efforts on the basis of current trends and forecasts," says Krishnamoorthy. The company has embarked on an innovative retail concept to provide the right kind of experience to the potential consumer.

"The concept has already been implemented at the Grasim exclusive store in the Flora Fountain area in (south) Mumbai," says Ashok Ghose, vice-president, sales and marketing, Grasim Industries (textiles division). "The interiors have been done in a way that the consumer feels closer to the product. Moreover the modular interior helps the retailer change the look of the store as and when he wants to," he adds.

By March 2002, the company plans to set up 10-12 such retail outlets to cover the large metros and 15 mini-metros including Punjab, Ahemdabad, Pune etc. The investment required in each outlet is Rs 1,500 per square ft. All the outlets are going to be exclusive Grasim outlets. And to create its own retail identity, every showroom is going to be painted in three colours - burnt orange, powder blue and yellow.

With its plan in place, the company is targeting a 15 per cent increase in its turnover this year. Last year, the textiles division of Grasim Industries clocked a turnover of Rs 300 crore.

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