Bisleri Limonata names Aditya Roy Kapur its first brand ambassador; targets Rs 500 crore milestone in carbonated drink market

The director of marketing shares that in April and May the brand has grown by 30% in the carbonated drink category.

Bisleri Limonata announced the appointment of Aditya Roy Kapur as its first brand ambassador. The ‘Limey Minty Cooler’ by Bisleri International also launched a new campaign, titled #DoubleTheChill.

The campaign features Aditya Roy Kapur and Chunky Pandey in a beach setup. Kapur, sporting a bright yellow shirt, is playfully teased by Pandey that a single yellow isn't enough. 

He asks Kapur to "double the chill", prompting him to bring out Limonata.

It is the first campaign conceptualised and written by the brand’s in-house creative team.

Talking about the genesis of the campaign, Tushar Malhotra, director of sales and marketing, Bisleri International, says that Bisleri Limonata is a distinct product with lime and mint flavour, that sets them apart from any other beverage in the category.

The company believes that the Indian actor is a perfect fit for this, as he connects well with Gen Z. 

Majorly, it is seen that beverage brands launch their campaigns at the start of the summer season, but Bisleri chose to launch the campaign at the end of the season.

Malhotra says that the carbonated beverage industry is big, and Bisleri has multiple product ranges in the category.

“Currently, we’re on a journey of setting up a brand in the carbonated beverage category”, he states.

According to him, while building a brand, apart from the season, there are a lot of factors that need to be kept in mind, including distribution and marketing capabilities.

Regarding the media mix, 50% of the budget will be allocated to digital media, reflecting the digital-first consumption habits of the Gen Z audience. Another 20% will be dedicated to experiential marketing, including fairs and music concerts.

Television will account for 10% of the budget, with a significant focus on the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

The remaining 20% will be invested in trade channels, such as dealer boards and truck branding.

Regarding the T20 World Cup, the brand will advertise on both television and connected television (CTV). 

The ad will find a spot in every match in the T20 league, including the non-India matches scheduled at 6 am.

Currently in the category, along with Bisleri Limonata, it holds a portfolio of Bisleri Pop, Bisleri Rev, and Bisleri Spyci Jeera. 

With these four sub-brands in the beverage industry, the company, founded in 1965, aims to achieve a revenue of Rs 500 crore in the future.

The brand unveiled a dedicated campaign for Limonata, as it has proven to be a lucrative venture for the company, driving significant business growth.

In April and May the brand’s carbonated drink business has grown by 30%.

Bisleri Limonata is available in 3 SKUs: Rs 10 for 160 ml, Rs 40 for 600 ml, and Rs 25 for 500 ml. The 160 ml pack is predominantly for general trade.

“The 160 ml pack was launched to generate more trails,” he mentions.

In the market, there’s competition from global players like PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, as well as regional brands like Lahori Zeera and Arora Lemon, which offer desi carbonated drinks catering to Indian tastes. However, Bisleri aims to compete only with international players in the market.