Sign up for afaqs! Newsletters
Adivasi Hair Oil is strengthening its roots through influencer marketing
They've partnered with influencers such as Farah Khan, Sonu Sood, Bharti Singh, RJ Naved, and Elvish Yadav to expand their reach.
A new trend in the hair care market is emerging with the rise of Adivasi Hair Oil, a product that claims to originate from the tribal regions of Karnataka. Despite its traditional-sounding name, the brand has embraced modern marketing techniques, collaborating with prominent influencers such as Farah Khan, Sonu Sood, Bharti Singh, RJ Naved, and Elvish Yadav to reach a wider audience.
The Adivasi Hair Oil story is rooted in the Hakki Pikki community, a scheduled tribe from Karnataka known for their semi-nomadic lifestyle. Historically engaged in bird catching and hunting, the community has now turned to the production of herbal oils, which they claim have been made by their families for centuries.
The oil is said to be crafted using 118 herbs, and its effectiveness is marketed as a solution for hair fall, balding, dandruff, and grey hair.
Social media has played a significant role in popularising Adivasi Hair Oil. Influencers and vloggers often feature the oil in videos where they travel to Bengaluru, visit the areas where the oil is supposedly made, and immerse themselves in the local Adivasi culture.
These videos add a layer of authenticity to the product and have contributed to its virality. The visuals of models, particularly men with long, straight black hair cascading to their waists, reinforce the product's claims and help build trust among viewers.
The oil is primarily sold through WhatsApp, priced at Rs 1,500 for a 500 ml bottle. The brand claims that herbal medicines and oils have garnered international demand as well.
However, the influencer videos have also raised some doubts among viewers, as each video features a different individual from the community, leading to uncertainty about the authenticity of the claims and who truly represents the brand.
Interestingly, Adivasi Hair Oil is not the only brand capitalising on this trend. Along the highway from Bengaluru to Mangaluru, over 50 stalls can be found selling hair oils with similar promises, all under the banner of Adivasi or similar names.
Brands such as Adivasi Ajay Hair Oil, Neelambari Adivasi Hair Oil, and Official Adivasi Hair Oil are available in the market, creating confusion about which one is the original. Some of them are also available on e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart.
According to a report by The Print, S Sreekanth, director of Mysuru's DEED (Development through Education) NGO, noted that nearly every Hakki Pikki family in Pakshirajapura village near Mysuru is involved in the manufacture and marketing of traditional Adivasi Hair Oil.
While influencers are promoting these products, online reviews tell a different story, with some customers calling them a ‘scam'. Some manufacturers from the Hakki Pikki community have claimed that many Adivasi Hair Oils on e-commerce platforms are fake. Currently, within the community, families are competing and have set up websites, each claiming to sell the ‘original’ Adivasi Hair Oil.
According to The Print, there are approximately 11,892 Hakki Pikkis in Karnataka, with community members estimating that at least 70% are capitalising on the Adivasi Hair Oil trend. Several tribe members also mentioned that the Karnataka government had encouraged them to pursue this opportunity.