“Thunder striking soon,” the latest campaign of Thums Up, has a twist. One needs to see it twice to understand what it is conveying. Show it to a Caucasian American, and he would be nonplussed. He would understand it as a promo, but it would not make any sense to him.
But
for Indians and Indians throughout the world, it makes perfect sense. Thums Up has partnered with Allu Arjun; the Thums Up teaser is for the much-awaited movie Pushpa 2.
Does
it make sense? You bet it does. For Allu Arjun, who is endorsing Thums Up, it
is free publicity for his movie. For Thums Up, the teaser gets tremendous
eyeballs, and the image that Allu Arjun portrays in the movie matches the
positioning tack that Thums Up has consistently used.
The
positioning is that of a macho man who wants the strongest cola in the market.
And even better if that strong man borders on the line between lawfulness and lawlessness. That is Sona Pe Suhaga (That is the icing on the cake). The
present generation wants to be a rebel—with a cause or without. A perfect
marriage between the brand, its positioning, the brand ambassador, his
on-screen image, and movie promotion.
