Himalaya plugs in the 'Namaste' to promote its PureHands hand wash and sanitisers

It has launched a new campaign called #ThePurestGreeting that's conceptualised by 82.5 Communications.

The Himalaya Drug Company is promoting its range of hand wash and sanitisers in a new campaign called #ThePurestGreeting.

The ad campaign takes us back to the ancient greeting of our land – namaste. "A greeting so pure it signifies that the divine in me bows to the divine in you," says a voiceover. With a classical music score playing in the background, Himalaya speaks about the pure symbolism of the 'namaste' and how it's "... A greeting from our ancient past to our future."

It also helps that the greeting doesn't need us to come into physical contact with another person – social distancing is one of the most effective prevention measures we can take to prevent the virus' spread along with using a hand wash or sanitiser to wash our hands frequently.

It is dubbed as "India's greeting to the world."

Philipe Haydon, CEO, The Himalaya Drug Company, said, “This film captures the beauty, essence, and great wisdom of our Indian greeting, Namaste. Today, as we practice social distancing, the phenomenal knowledge and wisdom of this greeting hold great value in our lives. At Himalaya, we have always been inspired by our rich heritage. We hope that this film spreads love and happiness as well as keeps you all safe. Stay safe, stay healthy. Namaste from our hearts at Himalaya to yours.”

Sumanto Chattopadhyay, Chairman and CCO, at 82.5 Communications says “The Namaste is such a beautiful yet practical gesture with so many layers of meaning. It is wonderful to make this film for Pure Hands as a vehicle to spread the message of the Namaste—a message that is all the more meaningful during the pandemic."

On its website, an 85 ml PureHands Hand Sanitizer is being sold for Rs 45 while the 500ml bottle is priced at Rs 250 and a 185ml hand wash is being sold for Rs 50.

According to a Nielsen report, March 2020 saw as many as 150 new players enter the hand sanitiser category. However, due to distribution hassles, several brands weren't able to reach retail outlets in time.