If you look at it, paints as a category is actually quite a bland and boring one. However, the way we look at this category in India today, is filled with excitement, style and creativity. A lot of this credit goes to the age old brand Asian Paints.
Asian Paints has truly developed the paints category in India and has transformed it from being boring to contemporary and lifestyle-led. Founded in 1942, the brand has constantly leveraged technology and innovation to accentuate and grow its presence in India and establish itself as not just a brand for the masses but a modern brand for the masses.
Asian Paints is credited for turning the commodity market of paints into an FMCG category. The brand today not only deals in paints but all coverings, decor and adhesives as well. Until 2002, Asian Paints had a more colour focused positioning, highlighted through the advertisements of the time where the ‘Meta wala…’ tag brought the brand popularity. The brand soon realised that there was more potential for growth if they didn’t just stick to paints. Soon, they launched the popular tagline ‘Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai’, conceptualised by Ogilvy’s Piyush Pandey, that is the brands philosophy even today. They acquired Sleek International in 2013 and Ess Ess in 2014 and forayed into kitchen solutions and bathroom products.
Many of us might remember Asian Paints’ mascot ‘Gattu’. Gattu is one of the most memorable mascots of all time. It was created by famous cartoonist RK Laxman in 1954. When created, the mascot didn’t actually have a name. A ‘Give me a name’ contest was held with a prize money of Rs. 500. Gattu was let go in 2002, inspite of its mass appeal, when the brand decided that they needed something more universal and premium. The mascot was replaced by the logo we see today. When RK Laxman passed in 2015, Asian Paints aid tribute to the cartoonist with a poster that featured Gattu.
Asian Paints was one of the earliest brands to launch ‘Colour with Asian Paints’ stores that provided customers with the opportunity to browse through and experience what the brand had to offer.
‘Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai’ evolved into a TV series where audiences got a peek into celebrity homes. After a successful run on TV, the show translated onto digital platforms as ‘Where The Heart Is’ with 5 minute episodes on YouTube and Disney+ Hotstar.
Asian Paints turned from a simple commodity to a mainstream and extremely popular brand. It is a homegrown company that beat multinationals to become a multinational for others to beat.