India’s mega confluence of faith and devotion, Maha Kumbh has completed one month. Millions of devotees from across India and the world have flocked to Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj to participate in this once-in-a-century event, as per the Hindu calendar. With the massive influx of tourists at Maha Kumbh, big brands have tried to seize the opportunity to splurge on advertising and marketing efforts during this 45-day mega gathering, which concludes on 26 February.
According to Vritti Mindwave Media, one of the event’s official advertising licensees, FMCG companies have remained major advertisers at Maha Kumbh. Brands like Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Britannia Industries, Amul, Dabur, ITC, etc have covered all types of branding, marketing, and CSR activities.
HUL’s Head of Media Tejas Apte said, “At Maha Kumbh, 10 different brands of HUL have participated in various activations. For instance, Surf is distributing bags with two compartments to women going for a holy dip at the Ganga river to keep wet and dry clothes”. HUL has also opted for anamorphic advertisements on vans and billboards, he added.
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DS Group’s Rajeev Jain told Storyboard18 that they have introduced Pass Pass, Pulse and Catch-branded boats for convenient access to ghats, Pulse-branded Kalash (water pots) for collecting sacred river water, and Pulse-branded bags to carry religious items.
“Catch Salt and Spices also has exclusive tie-ups with more than 100 dhabas, food joints, ad five large-format ashrams,” the senior vice president, corporate marketing at DS Group added.
Rajesh Radhakrishnan, co-founder and CMO of Vritti Solutions told Storyboard18 that brand activation costs for FMCG brands at the Maha Kumbh vary based on the scale and type of engagement. For instance, a brand can advertise a 10-second spot on LED screens 216 times for Rs 5-10 lakh. The cost of producing an anamorphic video ranges from Rs 3 to Rs 5 lakh for a 15-second video.
“CSR activities for FMCG brands, such as setting up ladies changing rooms, police barricades, supporting pilgrims accommodation, rehydration centres, foot massage camps, and boat branding would cost between Rs 5 and 10 lakh,” Radhakrishnan added.
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FMCG giants like Amul, HUL, and Dabur have also used high-profile LED displays at Prayagraj railway station to reach pilgrims.
Sri Garima Publicity Private Limited, which manages the advertising space at the junction, said that brands are spending upwards of Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh for a single spot on the LED screens.
Additionally, FMCG brands have adopted other measures to creatively reach out to the masses. For instance, ITC has distributed 1 lakh Mangaldeep jalbattis so far. The company introduced jalbattis, an underwater incense stick designed to honour the sacred rivers while preserving their sanctity.
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On the other hand, Adani Fortune Foods has introduced ‘Ahar Kumbh’- an initiative to bring the comforting flavors of ‘Ghar Ka Khana’ to millions of pilgrims. The company has introduced Fortune Besan Laddu as the Maha-Prasad of Maha Kumbh.
Reckitt-owned hygiene brand Dettol has trained nearly 15,000 sanitation workers and made soaps accessible to them at Kumbh.
According to the Confederation of All Indian Traders, Maha Kumbh is likely to garner Rs 2 lakh crore of business over 45 days. The food and beverages sector and religious offerings will contribute Rs 20,000 crore each to the trade, CAIT estimated.
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