Baleno shines bright in its print ad

Maruti Suzuki has executed an attractive print ad to promote its new hatchback Baleno.

Maruti Suzuki has initiated a multimedia advertising campaign to promote its newly-launched premium hatchback Baleno. The company carried an innovative ad in various editions of The Times of India (Delhi and Mumbai) on October 29. The four-page jacket ad which enveloped the newspaper was printed on glossy, silver-coloured paper, instead of the usual newsprint.

Other than print innovation, the brand has also taken to other mediums namely TV, cinema, DTH and digital. The campaign titled 'Made of Mettle' has been executed by Hakuhodo Percept. The television ads for the brand, showcasing the car and its features, are done in the usual category style.

Explaining the concept behind the print ad, Vinay Pant, general manager, marketing, Maruti Suzuki India, says, "The brand idea for Baleno is 'Made of Mettle', with an intentional play on the word METTLE. The Baleno stands out with its use of chrome (metal) which reinforces its bold and aggressive looks (mettle). The use of silver glossy paper was to highlight both these aspects of the brand."

For its television leg, the brand will advertise on English entertainment, English movies, lifestyle, infotainment, GEC, movies, and news channels.

Sabuj Sengupta, ECD, Hakuhodo Percept, comments on the creatives, "The Baleno is a car that shatters conventions in its category through its masculine and aggressive persona. To bring this to the fore, we have shown the Baleno loaded with attitude, ensuring that it leaves nothing short of proving its mettle."

The target group for the brand, as explained by Pant, is the modern urban consumer who is old enough to afford a better car and young enough to want more excitement from his vehicle.

The car is available in both the petrol and diesel variants, and is priced between 4.99 lakh to 8.11 lakh. Interestingly, the car is exclusively available at the brand's Nexa range of showrooms, which the company claims was conceptualised to cater to an evolving set of consumers who have different experience expectations.