Fight hunger, fight evil: Parle Agro Hippo's maiden TV campaign

Parle Agro’s snack product 'Hippo', which had a gradual roll-out across the country over the last few months, is now ready with its first mass media advertising campaign.

Till now, the brand's marketing strategy has been focused on distribution, retail visibility and consumer sampling.

Having completed a nationwide rollout, Hippo has come up with its first television commercial that takes a fresh look at the role snacks can play in society. Titled ‘Fight Hunger’, the TVC has been created and executed by Creativeland Asia and directed by Ram Madhvani of Equinox Films.

View TVC here

Sajan Raj Kurup, chief creative officer, Creativeland Asia says, "That an empty stomach is a devil’s workshop, is universally understood. The insight became a lot more relevant on probing deep into the Indian culture. Food is a fantastic way of calming people down. If you got grumpy or angry at home, you would often hear your mom say, ‘Go eat something’ to calm you down. The commercial is a beautiful marriage of this insight and wishful thinking deep inside all of us that wants to make this world a place free of all evils. It is manifested in a light-hearted satire on the society and the evil that exists within it."

Kurup says that the objective was to differentiate Hippo from the other snack players. "We succeeded in doing that with the name and packaging. It was imperative we carried it into its communication. So the challenge was not just in creating noise, it was also about creating a noise with a soul to it - something that would be relevant both for the brand and the society."

The TVC is seen through the hippo's (brand mascot) view as he goes to every scene of crime, war or conflict, offering each of the involved parties some Hippo chips. Everybody happily obliges and takes a bite, and this is shown to resolve all issues. As the series continues, the voiceover goes on to say that the root cause of all evil in the world is hunger. "So please, don’t be hungry," it appeals. The song ‘Pyaar baat te chalo’ (Keep spreading the love) which doubles up as the background music, plays a pivotal role in helping the TVC communicate its message.

Credits

Client: Parle Agro
Creative agency: Creativeland Asia
Chief creative officer: Sajan Raj Kurup
Executive creative director: Vikram Gaikwad
Creative director: Anu Joseph
Copywriters: Sajan Raj Kurup, Anu Joseph, Huzefa Kapadia
Client servicing: Jay Gala
Production house: Equinox Films
Director: Ram Madhvani
Post-production studio: Pixion
Media agency: OMD