Gone Mad Choco Sticks builds a Doodle Wall

Gone Mad Choco Sticks, the chocolate product from Garuda Polyflex Foods, has launched a digital campaign on its website (GoneMad.co.in) called the 'Doodle Wall'. The doodling application lets kids create their own doodles for submission. Select doodles stand a chance to be incorporated in the packaging of the product.

According to the company, the campaign is all about giving kids a platform to express their imagination, by launching a new consumer interaction space in the online medium. The campaign is planned for a three month period starting April.

Besides the Doodle Wall, Gone Mad's Facebook page has taken the idea forward to engage with children with the "Mad Moment" Campaign on its Facebook wall, which is created to let everyone showcase their 'mad moments' to the world. There is also an animated character called Hippie Baba, who is seen consuming Gone Mad Choco Stick on YouTube, besides giving modern everyday sermons.

Speaking to afaqs! about the online campaign, Jayachandran V, managing director, Garuda Polyflex Foods states that the Gone Mad online campaign is an endeavour to provide a wider platform to the Gone Mad World and initiate a dialogue with consumers.

"A rather interesting take on the core concept of the brand, our online venture offers something for everyone. Given the brand philosophy of 'by the kids and for the kids', it is absolutely critical to constantly engage with consumers in the social medium as it is the perfect platform to understand the pulse of consumers in a quick way," he adds.

The digital campaign has been designed by Geek Online Ventures. Speaking about the brief behind the campaign, Mayank Agarwal, CEO, Geek, says, "The brief was simple, to create awareness for and promote the Gone Mad Choco Sticks on digital platforms. Using a play on the words 'Gone Mad', we came up with characters who had literally 'gone mad' after eating Gone Mad Choco Sticks. The idea was loved by the kids, especially because of its bizarre antics, comments and twisted views on everyday issues."

The brand's association with kids continues right from the time it was introduced in India in 2012, through an activity where it engaged with around 1,000 kids from schools in Bengaluru and Chennai to design doodles which are used in its packaging currently.

In March this year, the brand came out with its first ever television commercial that tells the story of Murali, a young Choco Sticks fan and his journey through friendship, love and endearing madness. The campaign was designed by Karishma Lintas. The company plans to come out with more television campaigns this year.

Jayachandran informs that Garuda Polyflex will target to engage with consumers at various ATL and BTL media for Gone Mad Choco Sticks and its other product, Gone Mad Jelly Drink. The 22-year-old Garuda Food, part of Indonesia-based Tudung Group that deals with agri business and FMCG distribution, is a $500 million company. It has 13 production facilities spread across Indonesia, China and India, and more than 20,000 employees.

Garuda Food offers product ranges such as snacks, confectioneries, biscuits, tea and coffee beverages, flavoured milk, jelly drink and fruit flavoured drinks. The products are supplied to countries in Asia, Europe, Australia, Africa, West Asia and North America.

Garuda Food entered the Indian market in 2011 after a collaboration with Bengaluru-based Polyflex Group. Polyflex Group is a 40-year-old $50 million company that deals in luxury and comfort businesses.