Himalaya releases first TVC for Purifying Neem Scrub

The Himalaya Drug Company, India’s leading herbal health and personal care company, is set to release its first television commercial for its product, Purifying Neem Scrub, a Neem-based deep cleanser. The ad highlights the importance of pure skin in today’s ‘High-Definition’ lifestyle.

Says Hemang Vasani, Brand Manager – Himalaya Herbals, “Young girls today are conscious about how they look and they are increasingly taking extra care of their face. They begin to use face cleansing products as early as 12 years of age. They are aware of their skin requirements and are willing to use a product that addresses their problems. Our on-going consumer study reveals that impurities like blackheads, dirt and dead skin are a big cause of concern amongst young girls. Himalaya Purifying Neem Scrub helps remove these deep-rooted facial impurities.”

Taking cues from the life experiences of the Facebook generation, our Purifying Neem Scrub TVC showcases the life of a young college girl, who returns home after a party and logs on to her social media page. While browsing through the party pictures online, she notices the visible impurities on her face and is both embarrassed and worried. The following day, her embarrassment further increases when she zooms in to watch the party video with her friends. The TVC goes on to elaborate the functional benefit of using a scrub to keep the skin free from impurities with the key message “Kab Tak Bachte Rahoge”.

Rajesh Krishnamurthy, Business Head – Consumer Products Division, The Himalaya Drug Company, says “Face Packs and Face Scrubs is currently a Rs.400 crore category. We see it growing to Rs. 600 - 800 crore in three-four years, largely driven by changing consumer behaviour. Consumers today are at ease to experiment different products that will help address their skincare problems. We continue to see a growing preference for salon care at home. Himalaya is a leading Face Care brand in the country and with this communication we want to build the Face Scrubs category and create awareness of its role in providing problem- free pure skin for young girls.”

Says Shenaz Bapooji, Head, Soho Square, the creative agency who developed the TVC, “The challenge was to get new users to try Face Scrub as a part of their regular face care regimen. Our study revealed that young girls are aware of their skin requirements; however, they are not aware of the solutions at hand. Our story showcases how in this high- definition world, every little thing is clearly visible, in this case, the impurities on the face.  This commercial encourages young girls to seek solutions for such impurities. The hero of our film remains our product: Purifying Neem Scrub, which is made of natural ingredients like Neem and Apricot which together help remove deep impurities from the skin.”
With social media being an important part of this TVC, the brand also ran a teaser campaign leading to the release of the TVC on its brand page on Facebook HimalayaHerbalsIndia. A persona inspired from Priya in the TVC was created to communicate the many real life instances when skin impurities leave people troubled and embarrassed. The weeklong campaign took people on a journey showcasing the transition from skin problems to problem free skin and the reason behind the new found confidence and vibrance in Priya! During this campaign period, the Facebook page reached out to over 3, 50,000 users.

Created by Apostrophe Productions, the TVC is directed by Amit Baidya, whose past work includes commercials for brands in FMCG, consumer durables & media. " The film is about the protagonist’s small moments of self-realization that leads her to using the right scrub, Himalaya Purifying Neem Scrub as to get rid of the impurities is imperative.  The fresh look and colors with music and vocal makes it a sweet film. It was fun shooting with the team, which is seen in the film,” shares Amit.

The commercial was launched on the brand’s official Facebook page on May 03 and will go live on popular entertainment channels on May 04.