Kissanpur

Processed foods are generally marketed on the platforms of taste/flavour, health & nutrition and fun; marketers at times also stress that good quality raw materials are used in the manufacture of their products to support their claims. Hindustan Unilever Ltd. has gone one step further with its new Kissan Tomato Ketchup campaign; it is attempting to bring about a change in certain consumer attitudes.

I am referring to the Kissan Tomato Ketchup press campaign called Welcome to Kissanpur which is currently running. It gives an opportunity to children to ‘experience real nature, the Kissan way’. The first ad actually had a small plastic sachet containing tomato seeds; children have been invited to be part of a contest in which they are required to use these seeds to grow tomatoes and submit them to the company. Among the entries submitted the company will use tomatoes in the top 100 entries to actually make Kissan
ketchup, the bottle’s label will also carry the name of the winning children. The second ad complements the first one with more information. While writing this article I am not aware as to what else they might have planned next for this campaign and I have not seen any TV commercial on this so far but I feel things will only get more interesting.

The first press ad with a sachet of tomato seeds

The second press ad

 This campaign targets children of the internet age via their mothers. Kissan offers the goodness of nature which the children can truly experience hands on. But this campaign also sends a subliminal message and that is – Kissan uses the best tomatoes in the making of their tomato ketchup, hence it is superior to other ketchup brands in the market. My feeling is that, though I do not know for sure, this idea may also be extended to the other products in the Kissan range whenever HUL chooses to advertise them; that is because both the new labels of tomato ketchup and jams now have a similar look. 

The ads were attention grabbing especially the one with the sachet of tomato seeds; they were also very well thought out and designed. The company has also put up a Facebook page and a Kissanpur website. I also expect quite a bit of word-of-mouth publicity, the kids who would be participating in the contest and their families will definitely talk about this with their friends, neighbours and relatives. Let us wait and watch to see what other developments take place in Kissanpur.