Chai (tea) and music have been infused into the DNA of Indians. Taj Mahal Tea, one of India’s premium tea brands, brought the two together to create a legacy that still defines the brand’s strong positioning in a competitive market like India. Let’s explore what marked the start of this distinct melodious journey.
The majestic Taj Mahal on the backdrop and Ustad Zakir Hussain immersed in playing the tabla on the foreground. Later he sips a cup of tea, while the voiceover compliments his playing with “Wah Ustad, wah!”. The Ustad quickly quips, “Arre huzoor, wah Taj boliye!”
If you are a millennial who grew up in India in the 90s, chances are slim that you do not remember this advertisement of Taj Mahal Tea. The eponymous Taj Mahal, Harish Bhimani’s voiceover, and Ustad Zakir Hussain’s rendition, the advertisement was a novel confluence, one that would go on to cement Taj Mahal Tea’s long-lasting relationship with Indian Classical music and become the brand’s distinct identity.
How had it started?
To understand this, let’s travel back in time.
Circa 1966, the Brooke Bond Taj Mahal Tea was launched in Kolkata.
It epitomized the essence of luxury in tea, meticulously crafted from the finest tea leaves to deliver an unparalleled and exquisite tea-drinking adventure. It was associated with affluent Western-influenced demographic.
One of the earliest advertisements featured former Miss India and swimming champion Nafisa Ali diving into a swimming pool. Another featured yesteryear actor Malavika Tiwari doing aerobics. The commercials ended with ‘Ah, Taj’. Both showcased premium lifestyles in ‘70s and '80s India.
The growing Indian middle class
The appeal of a Westernized lifestyle began to popularize Taj Mahal tea among India's aspirational middle class. The brand realized that they now had to communicate with a larger Indian audience and decided to relaunch it to cater to a diversified demography.
Extensive research went into understanding tea connoisseurship. Three pivotal facets got highlighted: the artistry of colour, the poetry of aroma, and the symphony of taste. The advertising agency Hindustan Thompson Associates (HTA) delved deeper into the art of tea processing and realized the vital role tea tasters played in the process. They needed to specialize in the nuances of all the three facets.
It became evident that the communication to the targeted consumers needed to weave a narrative of Taj Mahal Tea, aligning with all three paramount dimensions to provide a sublime tea experience. HTA wanted to offer something that appealed to the middle class while maintaining the exclusive charm of the brand. They wanted to infuse Indianness and more aesthetics to the commercial.
Ah Taj to Wah Taj!
Tabla maestro and a risen star Ustad Zakir Hussain demonstrated the ideal blend of Indianness and refined talent, along with a unique persona, akin to the tea brand. It became an easy choice for the makers, who flew in the Ustad to India from San Francisco to shoot for the Taj Tea commercial film under its Wah Taj campaign.
The commercial painted an enchanting canvas of tabla virtuosity, the result of relentless devotion-echoing the artistry of a master tea blender. As the advertisement unfolded, the audience was spellbound by the maestro breathing life into the tabla, his curly locks dancing in rhythm with his exuberant head movements, and a spontaneous smile gracing his face.
The advertisement not only managed to create consumer appeal and made Ustad Zakir Hussain a household name in India but also paved way for something more profound for the brand. It built a lasting relationship with Indian Classical Music, a bond Taj Mahal tea is still striving hard to maintain, while making it relevant for younger consumers.
The musical connection over the year
In a bid to refresh its positioning, the brand has roped in younger musicians from time to time for different contexts. One of its commercials featured sitarist Pt. Niladri Kumar playing the instrument among the lush greenery of tea estates in Darjeeling/ The context was the tea’s new Darjeeling variant. Another showcased Pt. Rahul Sharma’s soulful santoor rendition in the enchanting backdrop of Kashmir. It highlighted Santoor and Noon Chai, both associated with the place
In 2019, the campaign ‘Fursat waali chai’ was launched by the tea brand. Conceptualized by Ogilvy, it featured Maati Baani’s vocalist Nirali Kartik (the brand’s first female artist) in two commercials. It was a discourse between Kartik and a cup of tea and emphasized ‘Me-time’. Through the conversation, the film’s message was to hit the pause button when life became chaotic.
An expérience extraordinaire and a Guiness World Record
To further foster and amplify this melodic spirit, the Hindustan Unilever-owned brand once again teamed up with Ogilvy to come up with a first-of-its-kind interactive billboard in the monsoon of 2023.
This out-of-home installation measures a total surface area of 2250 square feet and is located opposite the Vijayawada Junction railway station. It uses rains to play the notes on the Santoor to create the symphony of Raag Megh Malhar, the raga of the rains.
The essence of this ‘Megh Santoor’ rests on carefully arranged 31 strings and skilfully poised handles. This arrangement weaves the tapestry of 'Megh Malhar,' capturing the essence of the Indian monsoon's soulful resonance.
It has been installed under the expertise of Indian classical musician, percussionist, and composer Taufiq Qureshi. The santoor we hear in the commercial is the effort of Shantanu Gokhle. It took six months of conceptualisation with a team of over 50 professionals who came together to provide the people of Vijayawada, one of the biggest citadels for Taj Mahal Tea an extraordinary sensory experience and earn the brand a Guinness World Record for being the largest environmentally interactive billboard in the world.
It is certain the real installation would be in stark contrast to the beautiful cinematography in the commercial. But we couldn’t care much as it's a one-of-its-kind effort and shows the brand’s commitment to Classical music.
Carrying on the tradition:
When your brand's positioning is intertwined with the soul of music, the exploration of uncharted territories and the orchestration of avant-garde concepts become not just a choice but an artistic imperative, ensuring brand relevance remains ever vibrant and harmonious. Over the years, Taj Mahal Tea has successfully managed to do the same.
Innovation, experimentation, and collaboration with some of the brightest minds in advertisement has helped the brand build its relevance among young consumers, while remaining steadfast to its timeless musical legacy.