rocter & Gamble�s (P&G;) detergent brand, Tide, has a penchant for surprising its consumers. When it was launched in India it was a mysterious white pack sampled door-to-door that was later revealed to be the company�s premium detergent powder brand. Over the last few years, Tide has offered two big surprises to consumers. First, in sharp contrast to P&G;�s �garden variety� advertising, Tide has stood out with a sharply etched brand idea. In a highly commoditised category, where the creative rendition of an idea is the only differentiating tool, Tide�s �white stripe� mnemonic has succeeded in doing that time and again. Second, it has cut prices drastically to become a mass market warrior.

As in the case of many FMCG brands, television has been the driving medium for Tide�s communication. To break the clutter on television, the team at Leo Burnett, the agency handling its creative duties, has stuck to communicating the brand�s core proposition, �whiteness that will surprise you�. Just when a consumer has settled for the kind of whiteness her current detergent offers, Tide�s performance surprises her. The �white stripe� works as a medium of disruption - literally taking people by surprise with its unexpected appearance (The Brand Reporter, August 1-15). ... more