Rasna takes on summer, energetically!

In its latest campaign, the much-loved soft drink brand ropes in the fit and tough-looking Akshay Kumar to convey the brand's iconic message 'I love you, Rasna'.

Summers are approaching, paving the way for a barrage of ads featuring various beverage brands coming to the rescue as the 'ultimate thirst quencher'. In its latest communication, the leading player in the concentrated drinks category, Rasna, goes back to basics by highlighting its iconic tagline, 'I love you, Rasna'. The line, attached to the brand since 1987, makes a comeback, but with a twist. Instead of a celebrity mother, the brand has roped in a rather tough looking and fit Akshay Kumar to reiterate the brand positioning.

Executed by Curry-Nation, the campaign features a young kid who mistakes a geeky-looking Kumar as the star's look-alike. He asks Kumar to surprise his mother on her birthday and promises a yummy treat of different flavours of Rasna. Amused, Kumar meets the mother who enthusiastically serves them Rasna. A sip of the drink transforms Kumar into an energetic rapper who dances and sings along with the kids.

The campaigns marks the launch of three special promotions to kick off an early summer - a 500 ml Sports Bottle worth Rs 50 free with Rasna 500 gm Fruit Plus pack; a 1 litre Super Sipper worth Rs 75 free with three litre packs of Rasna Fruit Plus and a jug worth Rs 100 free with three Rasna Fruit Fun packs.

The brand has roped in ace photographer Dabboo Ratnani for still photography, for the new packaging of Rasna, featuring Kumar and Avan Khambatta (the Rasna girl).

Speaking on the campaign, Piruz Khambatta, chairman and managing director, Rasna, says, "Today's generation has become extremely health conscious and wants products that have health benefits attached to them. As a brand, we took the early initiative to introduce variants to Rasna that offer such benefits and now, with the coming of Akshay, a health freak himself, the combination is sure to be unshakeable. Akshay's image as a health conscious, fighting-fit actor, who connects well with the audience across the income levels, is well-placed to resonate with the target group of Rasna which connects across all age groups."

Rasna claims to be packed with numerous health benefits containing 21 vitamins, minerals, glucose and calcium, and is an ideal energy drink cherished by people of all ages. Rasna concentrate comes in a unique dual format of powder and liquid, permitting consumers to enjoy freshly squeezed juice taste in addition to a healthy nourishing drink. The product is most economical at a starting price point Re 1 to Rs 5 a glass.

Apart from Kumar, Rasna has roped in celebrities like Karisma Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan, Anupam Kher, Paresh Rawal, Virender Sehwag, Genelia D'souza Deshmukh and Kapil Dev.

For Priti Nair, director, Curry-Nation, Kumar brings an immense amount of 'energy and an element of heath and fitness' to the brand. However, she is quick to point out that the ad does not over-capitalise the 'celebrity quotient'.

"The script is fairly balanced as the central character of the campaign is still the 'mother'. The story revolves around her. Kumar brings with him an element of fitness and energy representing the brand's essence completely," she adds.

Apart from television, the campaign is being promoted on print, digital, OOH and BTL.

Rasna, with seven facilities spread across the country, has a huge distribution network comprising 35 depots, 2,500 stockists, 1.8 million retail outlets and a sales force of over 700. Its products are available in more than 40 countries worldwide.

Refreshing?

Raghu Bhat, founder-director, Scarecrow Communications, finds the campaign to be an 'interesting move' by Rasna, as Akshay has a macho action image that appeals to kids.

"But, intentionally," he notes that Rasna has not played up the action imagery too much. "Rather, it explores the mischievous and humorous side of Akshay Kumar's personality which is more universal and would appeal to kids and moms as well," he adds.

"Normally, when a brand is trying to be relevant and contemporary, it ends up trying too hard. But, in this case, Rasna keeps it quite natural, for most part of the ad," he opines. The only part he believes looked like a force fit was the attempt to make Akshay dance to supposedly kid-friendly lyrics.

For Divyapratap Mehta, former national planning director, Publicis Capital, the campaign seems 'dated' and Kumar does not add immense value to the brand. "The only positive side is that Kumar might connect better with mother and children, than a celebrity mother," he points out.

Lamenting that Rasna advertising has not evolved much since the last two decades, he suggests adding more 'intrigue' around the Akshay Kumar look-alike plot or engaging mothers around the mom-child bond, making the brand a more active ingredient in their bonding.

Suraja Kishore, head - planning, McCann Mumbai, views the campaign as a shift from the brand being soft, kid-focussed to being young and peppy. However, he highlights, that the execution does not really deliver anything fresh. Kishore says that Rasna ads always left him with a thirst for nice flavoured taste, an element lacking in this particular ad.

Noting that celebrity is never an answer for lazy thinking on the brand, he suggests that being a market leader in its category, Rasna must draw upon its DNA and extend that with a contemporary narrative, rather than vacate the space. "I wish they would have extended their DNA in a refreshing way, that could unlock growth and new segments," he quips.

Kishore suggests that discovering insights among Rasna lovers, who are now probably grown-ups, would have refreshed the bond they share with the brand.