Ogilvy Kolkata’s Campaign For MP Birla Cement Perfect Plus Sets A New Paradigm

MP Birla Cement, one of the oldest names in the Indian cement industry, also features amongst the top 10 cement brands in the country. It has recently launched its new ‘Super Premium’ product, Perfect PLUS, with a brand new TV commercial.

As a ‘challenger’ to several cement brands in the market, the brand aims to distinguish itself in the eyes of the consumers. Research indicates that the cement category has been built around generic benefits like ‘strength’ and ‘durability’. Yet the criteria for evaluating cement still remains ambiguous in the minds of the consumers, who often rely on the recommendations of masons, contractors and trade channels. While most cement communications focus on the masonry part of construction, the real worth of cement is measured by the quality of concrete it produces. The test of concrete lies in the load bearing capacity of foundations, pillars and roofs.

Sujoy Roy, Managing Partner (Creative), Ogilvy Kolkata: MP Birla Cement Perfect Plus is the future of the cement manufacturing industry. To make a case for its strength, it was important to give it a heart. The film is a perfect blend of logic and emotions. While the father-son story reveals the heart of the brand, the product details testify the strength of the cement.

Based on this insight, MP Birla Cement has developed an advanced product that is specially suited for all kinds of concreting solutions. It not only delivers on the promise of a strong home, but also ensures that the concrete structures built with it will bear heavy load, offer resistance against cracks and prevent dampness and ingress of moisture.

The new television commercial for MP Birla Perfect Plus, created by Ogilvy, Kolkata, offers a glimpse into the world of a father and his son and their shared dream of building a home. Starring Rajendra Gupta and Amit Syal, the film opens in a construction site, where the duo is having a conversation on the right kind of cement for their home-to-be. When the son says that any strong cement will do the job, the old man decides to teach him a life lesson. He reminds his son about a particular cricket match that the latter had played and won when he was in school. Despite having a strong batsman, the opponent had lost to his son’s team. On recalling the event, the son realises that the credit for the victory was due to every team member, for being strong in their own individual way. With this, the son realises the lesson his father was trying to teach him all along. It won’t simply do to choose any strong cement. To fortify a home, one must choose a cement that offers strength in every sense of the term.

Sandip Ranjan Ghose, Executive President - MP Birla Cement: In keeping with the brand philosophy, ‘Cement Se Ghar Tak’, MP Birla Cement does not simply make and sell cement but also understands the end consumers well. This new TV commercial talks directly to the individual home builder.

Speaking further on the role of communication, Mudassar Hossain, Managing Partner, Ogilvy  Kolkata: Communication for a cement brand is usually done through an endorsement approach by experts or celebrities, and it generally speaks to the influencers. However the involvement of the home builder is on the rise, and they seem to be more engaged in the entire home building process, something that was earlier left to the contractors. Through this communication, we wanted to empower the individual home builder so that they can make a more informed and smart choice.