‘Men of Pongala’ by Chandrika Hair Oil made a difference this Attukal

‘Men of Pongala’ by Chandrika Hair Oil attempted to bring about a difference during Attukal Pongala where women gather in millions to offer to the Goddess rice payasam made using earthen pots.

Pongala is a women-centric festivity and women spend the entire day in the scorching sun in front of a stove preparing payasam in an earthen pot as an offering to Attukal Bhagvathi (Goddess Durga). This makes them sweat and their hair turns sweaty, rough and unmanageable.

Through the “Men of Pongala” initiative, Chandrika attempted to bolster the women and helped their men to show their gratitude for the hardship they faced on the Pongala day.

During the festival, the sun and fire takes a toll on the women making their hair sweaty and rough. Keeping this in mind, Chandrika gave away hair oil packs to men across 2500 homes and encouraged them to pamper their women with a head massage, once they returned after an arduous day.  This gesture of caring brought a smile to women in these households.

According to the company, ‘The Men of Pongala’ initiative aimed at helping women get the Chandrika Hair Oil experience and the benefits that helps cool the scalp and rehydrate damaged hair. The message behind this initiative was that the women who are out all day cooking and praying for the wellbeing of their spouses, deserve to be pampered at the end of the day.

One of the male participants of the initiative said, “It felt really good to see that my wife was so happy when I gave her that head massage. I have never done anything like this before and I think this is a good start.”

Some women took to Twitter to express their surprise and happiness. While getting an oil massage from her father, one of the women posted “It was a great surprise. Loved it! My first experience thanks to Chandrika Hair Oil.”

These heartening reactions inspired Chandrika to capture the moments, reactions and experiences of men and women and showcase the same through a digital campaign.

Commenting on the campaign video, the creative agency said, “We felt that Pongala would be a great opportunity to create a small cultural change - a fresh addition to an age-old tradition. When you look at the festival and the large number of women who participate, it just seemed the perfect fit for Chandrika hair oil to make a relevant statement.”

For more than 75 years, Chandrika has been the beauty secret of millions of women and the brand has delivered on the promise through superior product offerings with trusted natural ingredients. Chandrika Ayurvedic Hair Oil comes with a unique formulation of 15 potent Ayurvedic herbs that help in reduced hair fall and stronger hair coupled with enhanced fragrance and provides nourishment for hair. Chandrika Ayurvedic Hair Oil is made through an ancient authentic AyurvedicKaachiya Enna process where the Ayurvedic herbs are slow cooked in pure coconut oil to extract the maximum goodness from each herb. The Hair Oil contains ingredients such as amla, hibiscus, bhringaraja, aloe vera, vettiver, neeli, fenugreek, rosemary oil, curry leaves, brahmi, henna, haritaki, jatamansi, manjishta, nirgundi, which are processed in coconut oil.

Campaign credits:

Creative Agency: Brand David

Production house: Nithin Narayan Photography

Director: Nithin Narayan