Ashee Sharma
Advertising

Nestlé Leans On Nostalgia

Food and beverage brand Nestlé has been in India for more than hundred years. It has rolled out a campaign depicting the relationship it has nurtured with the country all these years.

Nestlé India, which began operations in India more than a century ago, has rolled out a fresh campaign depicting the relationship it has nurtured with the country all these years. The campaign, titled 'A part of India's life for 100 years', celebrates the nation and depicts the company's pride in being a part of India's history.

Nestlé Leans On Nostalgia
Nestlé Leans On Nostalgia
Shot in sepia tone, the film takes viewers on a trip down memory lane. Touching upon major developments in the history of India such as the freedom struggle, the country's first World Cup win, its maiden space mission, the film portrays how Nestlé's brands such as Nescafe and Nestlé Milkmaid have been a part of our lives. Towards the end, the voice over says, "Yuhin nahin bana hai aapka Nestlé" (It takes a lot to be your Nestlé).

According to an official statement by the company, the objective of this campaign is to communicate the rich heritage of Nestlé in India and highlight that its association with the country has been built over the years with commitment towards quality and trust. The campaign, executed by McCann Erickson, was launched on the digital medium and will soon be seen across other media platforms.

While the company clearly states that the campaign commemorates Nestlé's centenary celebration, the timing is questionable for sceptics who see it in the context of the 'Maggi ban' that was lifted only recently.

Earlier this year, Nestlé India got embroiled in a storm following allegations that its flagship brand, Maggi Noodles, contained lead and monosodium glutamate (MSG) in excess of permissible limits. Responding to the situation, the company had, in June, decided to pull the product off shelves across the country. Last month, Nestlé was allowed a respite when the Bombay High Court lifted the nationwide ban on the instant noodle brand by food safety regulator, FSSAI.

Pertinently, the film does not show the said brand in the product-shot towards the end. The official response clarifies that the film is not about specific products or brands, but about Nestlé's understanding of India's culture and how the organisation has grown along with it. "The process of fresh tests is still underway, and we have taken a conscious decision not to use the Maggi Noodles pack-shot in the film, until it is complete," the note states.

As Nestlé prepares to get Maggi Noodles back on the shelves, its communication partner McCann Erickson is working alongside to address the brand's loyalists. Recently, it released a set of videos titled #WeMissYouToo, in which consumers were seen musing over their bond with Maggi.

Nostalgic Much?

Nestlé Leans On Nostalgia
Nestlé Leans On Nostalgia
Although the film is supposed to take the viewer on a long rewinding journey with Nestlé, Shouvik Roy, director - Elephant, finds it to be hastily executed and falling short of conveying anything more than the fact that Nestlé has been around for a long time now.

Roy notes that it is good move to keep Maggi out of the film. "I would have been surprised had it been there. That would have been an example of badly managed communication," he says. He is quick to express his reservation about the need for the campaign though.

Saji Abraham, executive director at Lowe Lintas, has a different take on the absence of Maggi Noodles in the ad. "If the company wanted to draw attention away from Maggi, they have succeeded in doing just the opposite with this," he states.

Abraham points out a couple of issues with the film. In his opinion, it is a "thinly disguised attempt at damage control and yet lacks contriteness."

Nestlé, it seems to him, has mixed up stimulus and response. He believes that the communication would have been more genuine had it come from consumers. "Emotional advertising cannot solve all problems," he quips.

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