Happydent partners TalentHouse India to crowdsource designs

The designs are for a special edition of flip-top packs of Happydent White.

Happydent, the chewing gum brand from Perfetti Van Melle India, has partnered with online crowdsourcing platform TalentHouse India to invite artists to create designs for a special edition of Happydent White flip-top packs.

In 2011, Happydent launched its Flip-top packs with a television commercial. This initiative invites the creative fraternity to submit designs that capture the 'Sparkling Smile' positioning of the brand. The entries are to be submitted by January 22.

The winners will be announced on February 4. The grand prize is an iMac, while three runners up will receive an iPad each; more designs will receive vouchers worth Rs 25,000 subject to brand selection. These designs will also be produced as limited edition Flip-top packs.

Speaking about the initiative, Mandar Keskar, category head, marketing, Perfetti Van Melle India, says, "The Happydent packs have been widely accepted as a cool accessory and we are looking to explore this opportunity further to see how the youth would like their Happydent White packs to be designed. Through TalentHouse, we have already received a wide portfolio of designs that depict the Sparkling Smile imagery of the brand."

Explaining how crowdsourcing can engage a brand well with its target group,
Arun Mehra
, CEO, TalentHouse India, tells afaqs! that crowdsourcing serves as a physical and emotional connect for any brand that takes this as an option. "It allows the brand to convey to its consumers that it is listening to them and is happy that they are contributing to its branding idea. That is the emotional connect and it reduces the physical hassle of going to artists and asking them for participation. That is why the Government of India asked people to submit ideas for the new Rupee symbol," added Mehra.

Mehra adds that creative crowdsourcing is fast gaining pace in India, with brands and mentors opting for this convenient platform to engage with their audiences.

TalentHouse India is the Indian arm of the California-based creative crowdsourcing platform launched in India by Reliance Entertainment. In January 2012, Micromax had collaborated with TalentHouse India to launch a crowdsourcing creative hunt to revamp its logo. Zod had also partnered TalentHouse to crowdsource its TVC script. Apart from Happydent, TalentHouse had also crowdsourced package designs for Kurkure last year. "We worked with 21 brands in 2012 and wish to double the number in 2013,"

says Mehra.

Mehra informs that TalentHouse has done projects like product design, signature tune, logo design and television script.

Speaking about how brands have reacted to this platform so far, Mehra adds that almost 80 per cent of the pitched companies have loved the platform. Of that, 20 per cent have adopted it, while 50 per cent have expressed their intention to come back.