The Kumbh Mela sees a gathering of around 100 million people over three months to celebrate the fact that Jupiter and the Sun have aligned themselves at certain positions. It is undoubtedly a matchless opportunity for brands to advertise their products and services. to showcase their brands.
The gathering of people at Kumbh starts much earlier & lasts much later than the Mela period. Religious Akharas from across the country assemble at the Kumbh Mela with their followers much before the Mela period.
Outdoor campaign at Kumbh has been one of the most sought-after brand building activity by national & international advertisers as there is no other similar opportunity anywhere in the world. Let’s have a look what popular companies have done in the past to make full use of this occasion:
Roti Branding
Yes, you read that right, Brands have even used Rotis for their promotion during Kumbh Mela. It was done by HUL when they created a special heat stamp and served 2.5 million ‘rotis’ with the message ‘Did you wash your hands with Lifebuoy?’ during the 2013 Kumbh Mela in Allahabad.
Branding aarti booklets
Emami did this by making Aarti booklets with Boroplus. Also, there were Boroplus gaming zones and even a talent hunt for women at the Kumbh.
Navratna massage parlors
Another initiative from Emami that worked well for the brand. was not left behind in its efforts to show off its brands. The company’s Navratna Range launched Navratna massage parlors where people could enjoy a relaxing massage with Navratna hair oil after a hard day at the altar.
Serving Hajmola digestive candy and Odomos
Dabur joined hands with restaurants to serve Hajmola digestive candy sachets for free! That means you don’t have to worry about how much you eat! Samples of its mosquito repellent Odomos were also distributed.
Revital giving Hanuman Chalisa books
Ranbaxy’s Revital gave away free hanuman chalisas. It surely would have helped the brand extending their connection with people from rural India.
BasketBall ring by Horlicks
(GSK) Consumer Healthcare made a basketball ring at its stalls. One could just shoot the hoops and earn yourself free cups of Horlicks and biscuits.
Vodafone provided free high tech earmuffs
Vodafone provided free high tech earmuffs with in-built speakers that came preloaded with devotional tunes. Also, there were Vodafone cinema halls called ‘Vodafone ki Dhoom’ where it showed videos of the history of the Kumbh and Samudra Manthan.
Which among these did you think is the best idea of promotion during Kumbh Mela? Also, if you get to see how brands are promoting themselves during this year’s Mela do let us know.
