Nestle Alpino: The peacemaker

The chocolate brand from Nestle has launched a set of ads that show what people should do if they goof up while talking to their partners.

As a pacifier for lovers' tiffs, there's nothing like chocolate. This appeasement policy works especially after a bout of foot-in-the-mouth disease. Take the latest campaign of Nestle Alpino.

Borrowing a cue from this insight, Nestle Alpino has designed its campaign on the theme of loving and sharing. 'To Love is to Share', as it is named, shows different situations in which a man goofs up in front of his woman while fondly talking about other women. He then makes her smile with a Nestle Alpino.

In the first film, a girl is getting her back tattooed, when the guy intervenes and tells her to get a specific pattern that he fondly remembers one of his girlfriends had. In the second film, a girl is touching up on fresh lipstick, and her friend points out the type and taste of the lipstick while fondly remembering - probably - his previous love.

In both situations the voiceover in the back says 'Yeh bhi koi share karne ki baat hai? Agar share hi karna hai toh try Nestle Alpino'. Nestle has positioned Alpino as a premium product that is best shared and offers a delightful experience that brings one back in the mood for love.

Old wine?

The films are more like a build on from its previous campaign, executed in a similar vein when the brand was launched in 2013. The previous campaign was a set of two films at that time. Speaking about the campaign, Mayura Bhargava, general manager , Nestlé India, says, "The launch ads were extremely well received and appreciated. Therefore we asked the agency to develop newer occasions that similarly highlight the sharing and romance between couples."

JWT has executed the campaign and brought in fresh situations for this time to reiterate the positioning of Nestle Alpino. The JWT creative team has this to say. "The situations are real and the humour is inherent in the situation that is created by the protagonist sharing a little 'too much information'."

The brand has released two more films online, which are more like a monologue of different statements from both men and women. All the four films are on YouTube and the brand is promoting them on its Facebook page ( and Twitter Handle (https://twitter.com/AlpinoIndia).

Nestle Alpino is a recent entrant in the premium category and priced at Rs 30 for two bon bons. The other players in this category include Ferrero Rocher and Cadbury (Silk and Bournville). A pack of 16 pieces of Ferrero Rocher chocolates is priced at Rs 335 while a 60g chocolate bar of Cadbury Silk is priced at Rs 60 and an 80g Cadbury Bournville chocolate bar is priced at Rs 90. Nestle points out that, according to a Nielsen report on the chocolate category, the premium sub-segment occupies 30 per cent of the category and is growing the fastest. Alpino is available across 100 towns in India.

The JWT creative team explains that Nestle Alpino is an entrant in a category that has strong brands, who are heavy spenders in media. "In such a scenario," they point out, "it is imperative that we build and strengthen the space that we want to own." Bhargava adds that Nestlé Alpino is meant for everybody in a relationship, whether they are16 or 80. Says Pinaki Bhattacharya, EPD, JWT, "We intend to capture the hearts and imagination of anyone in love, and we know they could use a little help to express themselves and bring back some romance in their busy lives." Nestle is pushing the campaign on OOH, TV, print and digital.

Expertspeak

"This is a great series that the brand seem to be developing, one cheesier than the other," says Naresh Gupta, ‎managing partner, Bang in the Middle. "The fact that the chocolate comes in twos, sets the product nicely in a relationship space," adds Rahul Mathew, creative head, DDB Mudra West.

Both feel that though the characters are relatable, a film with the woman in the lead role could have made it more memorable to the younger audiences. Both reviewers find the cast and execution well done. "To make chocolate appeal to the young market is smart, and the two TVCs do it well," adds Gupta.

Mathew believes that the digital films lack in content, but the intent is definitely worth applauding. "However there is also Imperial Blue's 'men will be men' campaign in a similar zone, as is the earlier Tanishq commercial. But I am not sure whether it will lead to confusion," adds Gupta.