BY- Ekta SharmaMohit GuptaAnurag Patel

Prateek Gokahle

CAMPAIGNS

• GATTU, the mascot for Asian Paints was created by cartoonist R.K. Laxman in 1954. Soon Gattu, became popular and remained so for many decades, even featured in business quizzes. After over four decades, it was eventually phased out after 2002, when company's advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather (O&M) initiated a rebranding exercise.

• During LATE 90’S the brand had to be reinvented. Because no longer festivities formed an important part in ones life. Since many brands went after festival seasons, the positioning platform has become cluttered. More over the consumer buying behavior has changed.

• LOGO CHANGE The brand also went in a brand overhaul. The logo was changed to a contemporary up-market one, designed by an Engineering Student DK Teja from Andhra Pradesh. The logo/design was to convey self-expression, sophistication and technology. The insight was that the brand is about people and homes and homes reflect the people living in it. Hence "Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai".

GATTU: Begins and Ends• A mascot can be incredibly powerful — to the

extent where it can become too dominant for the brand

• Gattu was first dreamed up when the company was still small and struggling against large British Paints and Jenson & Nicholson. This mischievous, aggressive, very Indian urchin made a lot of sense then, attacking the large foreign players.

• However, Company sources felt that with the changing focus of the company ‘Gattu’ lost his relevance

• Gattu's like the 'common man', so it served well for Asian Paints till it wanted a mass-market appeal.

• According to AP's advertising manager Rajiv Kumar Garodia: "Is the common man important? Frankly, I think we don't need a mascot anymore.“

The Group Thinks:

• Everything a ‘Brand Mascot’ stands for should keep the brand in the mainline and mainstream to bring out its core values and benefits. It should let either the brand or its benefits get sidelined. There was a feeling that Gattu, the ‘Brand Mascot’ of Asian paints had outlived its utility and the brand was brought back in the mainline with Gattu being removed so that the mother brand does not get sidelined.

• Today, when Asian Paints is itself the dominant player, Gattu makes less sense.

• Shombit Sengupta, founder of Shining Brand Consulting, said : "I have never found any relation between the high technology oriented quality of painting in today's world and Gattu of Asian Paints, rather a conflicting image of a naughty boy and a serious value-driven paint company. I had occasion to interact with Mr Jalaj Dani of Asian Paints and told him three years ago to remove Gattu as he looks like he will destroy some good painting”.