: Brand Saga: Saffola Cooking Oil, advocating healthy living before it became cool #IndiaNEWS #Brand Saga If learning and adapting to the evolving times had to be characterized, the Saffola Oil advertising

Brand Saga: Saffola Cooking Oil, advocating healthy living before it became cool #IndiaNEWS #Brand Saga
If learning and adapting to the evolving times had to be characterized, the Saffola Oil advertising journey has epitomized the philosophy. We take a detailed look at the brand journey that vowed to take care of millions of hearts.

Walking through the Saffola oil advertising journey, we dive into its unfazed spirit of evolving with the modern world while staying true to its age-old philosophies.

The ‘Saffola’ Start A brand ahead of its time

Bombay Oil Industries (BOIL), in the 1960s, looked to organize the ‘disorganized’ edible oil market dominated by the loose oil available at the kirana store. It forayed into the category with ‘Saffola’ and kickstarted the mode revolution in order to curb the sale of loose oil in India and grab a share of the consumer for its ‘healthy Saffola cooking oil’.

In the year 1990, Marico Industries Limited entered into a Registered Users Agreement with BOIL for the use of the brands Parachute and Saffola for an initial period of 3 years and 1993 onwards along with Parachute Coconut Oil, Saffola, and Sweekar (Marico’s refined oil) began manufacturing in the company’s factories.

Finally, in 1999, Marico Industries (Marico) and The Bombay Oil Industries (BOIL) signed a pact leading to a complete handover of, Parachute and Saffola to Marico.

Marico pegged Saffola as India’s first oil product which is good for the heart and set its advertising mission to fulfill the objectives of what the brand stands for- encouraging a healthy lifestyle with a good heart. Until 2019, reportedly, Marico maintained market leadership with Saffola in the super-premium refined edible oil segment, with a market share of 73%.

While Saffola’s portfolio has expanded three fourth to absorb more products like masala oats, instant noodles, rice, salt, ayurveda inspired Saffola Arogyam Chyawan Amrut Awaleha, the brand has become synonymous with the refined oil category.

Saffola Oil Advertising Journey

Saffola is marketed essentially as blended refined edible oil under the names of New Saffola, Tasty, Active, Gold and Total at present. All of them contain blended vegetable oils in various ratios.

The brand communication has witnessed massive shifts year-on-year, presenting new takes supported by varied insights, always centered around a ‘healthy heart’ and ways to integrate the practice of using curative cooking oils like Saffola which is now the flagship brand in the edible oils category for Marico.

Earlier the ads struck a chord owing to their utter dramatic representation wherein ambulance sirens, stretcher, and an ailing man’s heart took the centre stage in the TVCs of the 90s and early 2000s.