Sunny Oil's gamble to be different pays off, generates conversations

Sunny Oil’s latest campaign – #LifeAapkiRecipeAapki – is less about oil & cooking and more about the tough situations faced by women today. The campaign by the flagship brand of Frigorifico Allana, the Consumer Products division of the Allana Group, deviates from the usual taste and health proposition of cooking oil brands and puts the spotlight on women as decision makers.

Designed and conceptualised by The Womb, the campaign comprises three ad films that highlight a basic insight we tend to overlook at homes. Women play a vital role in modern households and often come face to face with situations where they need to take tough decisions. These situations often cause confusion at home and invite opinions of other family members. The films aim to shift the focus from the confusion of the household to the inner instinct of the woman that helps her to make the right decision.

The first film showcases a situation in which a mother finds out that her teenage son is watching porn on her cellphone. The next film showcases a woman who is going through a pregnancy complication and has to make a choice of keeping the baby or not. The third spot focuses on building the product’s ‘immunity credentials’.

The campaign focuses on woman as they are the key decision makers at home from deciding which oil to consume to what is good and bad for their children. 

Interestingly, the campaign does not showcase the usual cooking visuals, or focuses on less cholesterol or healthy habits. However, it tries to strike a chord with the audiences and leaves the decision to them as to what they feel is best for them. 

The intent of the campaign seems to be more on brand positioning rather than product positioning by trying to give a moral purpose. 

Suyash Khabya, Creative Lead, The Womb, says “Ads for oil brands follow a very cliché format with oil pouring and food shots. We wanted to do something different and break the clutter. Also because we wanted the brand to have a higher purpose because later on the brand is going to move on to other food products as well.”

“We want the brand to be an entity that doesn’t preach or judges but empathizes with women. We want to tell women that whatever decision they make in life, you’ll be right because you’ll follow your gut instinct,” adds Khabya.

Creative expert speak

The campaign has picked up well even on social media and had several interesting responses to it. 

Shubhojit Sengupta, Executive Creative Director, Enormous Brands, thinks that the brand is not trying to sell the product. “I really like it and it is very different. The campaign strikes a point and has a social message in it. They are trying to strike a different node with the audiences with their social message rather than following the standard template of other cooking oil brands. This is a very different ad and definitely people are going to talk about it.”

Kiran Khalap, Co-founder, Chlorophyll Brand Consultancy, pointed that the ad is very distinctive and it is able to stand out well.

On the other hand, KV Sridhar, Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Hypercollective, has mixed feelings about the ads. He said, “The thinking behind the campaign is really good and different, however the interpretation leaves you a little cold and confused with mixed emotions.”