<ul><li><keyword id="6888422" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sebamed" source="Orion">Sebamed</keyword>'s comparative advertising last year against <keyword id="44863" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hul" source="Orion">HUL</keyword> soap brands including <keyword id="119472" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lux" source="Orion">Lux</keyword>, Pears and <keyword id="94301" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dove" source="Orion">Dove</keyword> got it noticed by consumers.</li><li>We speak to <keyword id="17535" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shashi-ranjan" source="Orion">Shashi Ranjan</keyword>, Country Head, Sebamed to understand how its strategy of targeting other brands in the category has worked for it.</li><li> Ranjan tells us the brand's campaigns have helped it win the trust of huge number of consumers who are looking for 'highly efficacious and scientifically superior products'.</li></ul>When it aired its campaign targeting some of HUL’s market leading soap brands including Lux, Pears and Dove in January 2021, German personal care brand Sebamed made quite a splash. It had taken on the biggest soap manufacturer in the country, to demonstrate the ‘superior benefit of Sebamed’s cleansing bar over market leaders in the soap category’, a claim that had later been rebutted by HUL. Following the launch of the campaigns, HUL had filed a commercial suit in the Bombay High Court, and alleged that Sebamed’s campaigns were ‘misleading consumers on soap efficacy during these difficult times, and further denigrating and disparaging well-known brands like Lux, Dove, Pears and Rin’. The Bombay High Court later permitted Sebamed to continue with its campaign for its cleansing bar. Despite the legal backlash, the brand and its comparative advertising was written about by numerous media outlets, which turned out to be great PR for the brand. It had the desired effect, getting a relatively new brand noticed by consumers. Later in the year, Sebamed released another campaign, this time drawing consumers’ attention towards misleading advertising by various hair care brands titled #NoConditionsApply. A year since the launch of its talked-about campaign, we caught up with Shashi Ranjan, Country Head, Sebamed, to understand how its strategy worked for the brand and how it has been educating consumers about the benefits of using its products and building a market for itself. Excerpts: Q) Sebamed has had a very different advertising approach. How do you think that has helped in its brand building in India? We are a purpose-driven organization, and we strive to transform the Indian <keyword id="34523" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fmcg" source="Orion">FMCG</keyword> landscape. By leveraging the power of honest and transparent advertising, we are empowering consumers with the right knowledge backed by scientifically verifiable facts and realistic claims. We want consumers to make informed choices about their consumption habits and our advertisements narrate the story in a unique and palatable way. Our differentiated approach to advertising has introduced a new vocabulary of pH and generated a buzz in the personal care category. It has nudged consumers to challenge the status quo and question claims around standard beauty practices and provide them with science-backed facts instead, and as a result, build a strong connection with Sebamed. We have been able to win the trust of huge number of consumers who are looking for highly efficacious and scientifically superior products. Q) What sort of reception have your ads received? They did the work of getting the brand noticed but did that translate to sales? We are overwhelmed by consumer responses after every campaign. It really gives a surreal feeling that consumers wait for our advertisements as every category we get into we impart new knowledge and most importantly something they can trust and validate. In addition to disruptive awareness, our advertisements have resulted into exponential increase in our revenue as well. Our annualized portfolio run rate is Rs 600 crore in MRP terms. We remain committed towards investing in brand building as a full-stack player. We continue to strive for share of affinity of our consumers and it has been overwhelming since inception. Q) What sort of growth have you witnessed since you launched your campaign? We are on an exponential growth path and have grown 5X in the last 3 years. In fact, some of the subcategories in personal care have grown more than 10X post the campaign. Q) How did the pandemic impact the business? Where do you stand now? Like any other FMCG player we were also impacted by the first wave of pandemic during Apr-June’20 quarter. However, we have managed to bounce back and are now on our growth trajectory. We witnessed ~40% growth on our overall portfolio vis-à-vis 2019 despite the pandemic. We used this as an opportunity to realign our Marketing, Sales, Distribution &amp; People strategy.We managed to bounce back after a quarter and are now back on our growth trajectory.Hence, the silver lining is, despite pandemic our exponential growth journey continues.Our offline sales have grown around 50% over last year itself. Q) For any relatively new brand, sampling plays an important role. With people stuck in their homes, how have you been able to take the brand to people's homes? How are you ensuring the brand stays top-of-mind for your consumers? Sampling has been a key enabler to induce trial for consumers across all categories and we have leveraged this since the beginning. During pandemic when people were stuck at home, we partnered with hyper local delivery partners as well as some society activation partners to take the experience to consumers’ home. Further recently we have also launched Sebamed shampoo sachet at Rs 10 to encourage trials. Today all Sebamed shampoos – Anti Hairloss, Anti-Dandruff and Everyday are available at Rs 10. We have also started seeing early trends on increasing revenue contribution of Tier II and Tier III cities for Sebamed products. Q) How important has e-commerce been for you? The world-wide pandemic has turbocharged ecommerce transition for FMCG companies. With the touchless economy and safety conscious consumers, we have witnessed a strong preference towards ecommerce during the pandemic and it’s going to continue in the long run as well. Ecommerce has been a key growth driver for us, and we have further enhanced our presence by partnering with quick commerce players as well in addition to traditional ecommerce players. In fact, we have taken an emphatic approach to set up our own ecommerce platform mywellnesskart.com during the first wave of the pandemic to ensure our products are made available to consumers amid logistic disruptions. Q) What's your marketing budget for the year? Will you be increasing spends this year? Which medium will get the largest chunk of the marketing pie? Our marketing budget is commensurate with our growth aspirations. We have grown our marketing budget by 3X over last 3 years. We remain committed towards investment in brand building as a full stack FMCG player and strive for consumer’s share of affinity towards our brands. Our current split between traditional and digital marketing is 50:50 and we will continuously evaluate the same and pivot it around consumer’s behavioral shift. Q) Going ahead too, will the brand continue focusing on competitive advertising or do you plan to modify your strategy? We invest a lot in understanding our consumers. Keeping the evolving consumer needs in mind, our advertising approach has been focused on building long-term trust with the consumers – there is no short-cut to gaining trust. This requires consistent effort. Competitive advertisement is just one tool in the marketing playbook. Every category has different objective and advertisement strategy would differ accordingly; however our brand purpose will remain consistent as the common denominator across every segment we operate. Q) Sebamed has positioned itself as a brand that empowers consumers with the right information on the basis of scientifically verifiable facts and realistic claims. Apart from your campaigns, how else are you educating consumers, since it takes a change in behaviour for people to opt for a new shampoo/soap instead of products they have been using for years? After the pandemic, basic health and hygiene choices are being re-evaluated. We strive to educate our consumers about the benefits of pH5.5 products for healthy skin and hair and impact of using conventional products. pH is a relatively new conversation in the personal care segment, and we are aware that persuading consumers to opt for a new shampoo/soap instead of products they are using for years is a journey. In order to expedite the transition process, in addition to integrated campaigns we are following a 3-pronged approach: -Offering free pH test kits to consumers, so they can test themselves at their homes -Offering free customized skin and hair solutions by our experts through our portal -Sampling and society activation initiatives Q) What is your strategy towards increasing your marketing spend? What is the growth strategy you are going to follow? -Brand building is a journey and we are committed to ramp up our marketing investments in alignment with our aspirations. -We will continue to focus on five key transformational pillars – people, differentiated products, branding, rapid distribution expansion and robust governance. Q) What kind of revenue target do you have for 2022? We are here for the long haul, we plan to grow 10X in the next 5 years, hence we aspire to grow exponentially in 2022 as well, pretty much the way we have grown over the last 3 years.

Our differentiated approach to advertising has nudged consumers to challenge the status quo and question claims around standard beauty practices: Shashi Ranjan, Sebamed

<ul><li>The <keyword id="48485" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bombay-high-court">Bombay High Court</keyword> permits Sebamed ads targeting Dove with no changes and asks to put an end on Lux’s comparison with Rin.</li><li>Sebamed had earlier blamed Hindustan Unilever for taking the matter to court without giving a prior notice. </li><li>The Bombay High Court had passed an injunction order on January 11 after HUL took Sebamed’s campaign that took a dig at the company’s soap range to the court restraining its campaign from all mediums.</li></ul>The ad war between Fast Moving Consumer Goods giants Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) and German personal care brand Sebamed -- that had everyone on the edge of their seats -- has finally come to an end. The Bombay High Court on January 19 passed an injunction order permitting Sebamed to continue its advertisements targeting Hindustan Unilever’s Dove with no changes. The High Court bench concluded that Sebamed ads were backed by evidence-based data. However, the court ordered Sebamed to put an end to its advertisement comparing HUL’s soap bars Lux, Pears and Santoor with Rin and detergent category. “We welcome the decision rendered by the hon'ble Bombay High Court. As stated earlier, at Sebamed, truth and transparency are our key building blocks. We have a legacy of 50+ yrs and our products are known for their highest quality standards across 80+countries globally. Sebamed's entire portfolio of Skin &amp; Hair care products has a pH of 5.5 and our claims are backed by robust scientific research. We remain committed to educating customers on the benefits of pH 5.5 and serving them with highly efficacious products,” Sebamed’s spokesperson told Advertising and Media Insider. Sebamed's legal team further commented, “The judgement is an unequivocal acknowledgement of its endeavours to educate consumers about pH values of soaps and their effects on the skin. The Honourable Judge agreed that a fact-based scientific comparison did not amount to disparagement and parties are free to mention names of competitor brands as long as there is evidence-backed comparison.” In Sebamed’s advertising campaign launched on January 08, it had claimed that its cleansing bar is better than soaps like Dove, Rin, Pears and Lux that its competitor HUL offers. It also compared Lux and Pears with Rin, a detergent bar, implying that HUL’s products are inferior to Sebamed. HUL had retaliated with a print ad claiming that Dove is dermatologists’ number 1 choice. On January 11, the High Court bench had passed an order restraining the USV Private Limited and its affiliates, and their advertising agencies from using telecasting or broadcasting or communicating to the public the TVC, newspaper advertisements, hoardings and such other material in any language or any other content of similar nature. The battle escalated on January 13 as Sebamed blamed HUL for taking the matter to court without giving them a prior notice. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="80211315" title="German personal care brand Sebamed’s dig at HUL’s Dove, Lux and Rin backfires as the company plans to take suitable legal action" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Bombay High Court permits Sebamed ads targeting Dove with no changes and asks to put an end on Lux’s comparison with Rin

<ul><li>The ad war between Sebamed and Dove intensifies as HUL plans to take suitable legal action against the former. </li><li>Sebamed released a print ad and digital commercials taking a direct dig at HUL’s Dove. </li></ul><keyword id="6365619" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="hindustan-unilever">Hindustan Unilever</keyword> (HUL) said in a media interview that the company will take a ‘suitable action’ against rival Sebamed’s print ads that targeted its soap brands. The German personal care brand Sebamed claimed that its cleansing bar is better than soaps like Dove, Rin, Pears and Lux that its competitor Hindustan Unilever offers. <div type="image" title="Sebamed Campaign_Filmstars Kee Nahi, Science Kee Suno" msid="80211261" hostid="261"></div> Sebamed also released a video campaign titled ‘Doodh Jaise Safed Soap Ka Sach’ that directly mentioned its competitors and claimed that its cleansing bar has a Ph level of 5.5, lower than that of HUL's Dove (7) and Lux (10). It also intended to urge its customers to make informed choices and listen to science. Creative partner, The Womb said, “The Personal care industry has always been conditioned to follow standard beauty practices in order to make it appealing to the consumers. However, when we came across Sebamed and what the brand wanted to convey to its consumers, we decided to communicate the product truth through our campaign, without any silver coating. Striking the right balance between the bandwagon fallacy and authenticity, the brand is building a connection with its consumers through demonstration-based advertising with an honest approach.” <div type="Youtube" id="7g1MMgktZXE" title="Sebamed India | Doodh Jaise Safed Soap Ka Sach" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7g1MMgktZXE/mqdefault.jpg"></div> <div type="Youtube" id="edjR8TZtEsU" title="Sebamed India | Filmstars Ki Nahi, Science Ki Suno" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/edjR8TZtEsU/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Speaking on the campaign, Konark Gaur, India Head of Marketing for Sebamed said, “Consumers today are re-evaluating their brand choices and are looking for brands that deliver on their promise. Sebamed, a brand that stands for honesty &amp; authenticity wants to empower the consumers with the right information so that they can choose the best. We believe that product is always the hero and days of gimmicky advertising are counted.” HUL also responded with a print ad today and is now planning to take this matter to court. <div type="image" title="Dove responds to Sebamed" msid="80211331" hostid="261"></div> The ad war soon caught everyone's attention on Twitter. Here is how brand and advertising experts responded: <div type="twitter" handle="agracadabra" handlename="Sonal Dabral 🎬🖋🎙" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/922880899221475330/mZQAYPFy_normal.jpg" favoritecount="17" retweetcount="2" status="Lux was introduced 96 yrs back in 1925 &amp; @Dove in 1957, 64 years back.Besides asking the test tubes in some labs… https://t.co/OsgGTA4IFr" createdat="1610290282000" id="1348281285177995265"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="ambimgp" handlename="Ambi Parameswaran" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1075309911880421378/egNXy-cA_normal.jpg" favoritecount="34" retweetcount="3" status="⁦@HUL_News⁩ ignores, for now the attack on Lux but fires back from the shoulder of ⁦@Dove⁩! And uses Dermatologist… https://t.co/AvcsYkhLRt" createdat="1610252674000" id="1348123545100931076"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="surajkrish1310" handlename="Suraj Krishnan" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1247055727866212352/kANfpjzH_normal.jpg" favoritecount="1" retweetcount="0" status="Thanks to @IndiaSebamed, we've a Soap-war in our handsAs someone who has used Sebamed before, I love how aggressi… https://t.co/AkeJlXA6yU" createdat="1610254345000" id="1348130552281370624"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="bhatnaturally" handlename="bhatnaturally  🇮🇳" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1339890247610449920/ZH2O3poG_normal.jpg" favoritecount="2" retweetcount="0" status="I liked the @IndiaSebamed strategy of naming popular soap brands in the category. It is focused on a niche and diff… https://t.co/kosDqVRg61" createdat="1610186557000" id="1347846227329617920"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="harishbijoor" handlename="Harish Bijoor" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1025612333303967745/4V_bwzsr_normal.jpg" favoritecount="9" retweetcount="4" status="iTWEET:2021 begins on an aggressive and in-the-eye mode with the #SebaMed versus #HUL PH battle! The brand attempt… https://t.co/TacZtmprhB" createdat="1610173766000" id="1347792579585134593"></div>

German personal care brand Sebamed’s dig at HUL’s Dove, Lux and Rin backfires as the company plans to take suitable legal action

<ul><li><keyword id="8675253" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="competitive-advertising">Competitive advertising</keyword> makes for a good public spectacle. If executed well, it helps generate engagement on social media platforms and create organic PR. </li><li>Was Sebamed’s recent advertising campaign targeted at FMCG giant HUL a smart move or just a PR spectacle, we speak to experts to find out. </li></ul>Rival brands have time and again engaged in ad wars by calling each other out on social media or pulling each other down publicly to achieve one-upmanship. We have all grown up watching ad wars between Burger King and McDonald’s, Tide and Rin, Mercedes and BMW, Coca-Cola and Pepsi and still look forward to watching their campaigns or tweets openly taking digs at each other. And in the age of social media, anything that is a little different from regular communications generates a lot of chatter. These wars have helped break monotony, given people laughs in dismal times and made sure they don't skip ads while watching TV. As the country continues to fight the pandemic together, these ad wars have also helped consumers stay distracted from the reality for a while. However, the advertising campaigns made to antagonise your rival brand can go either way -- it is like a double-edged sword, which can be sometimes confused with witless sloganeering. The recent raging ad war between FMCG giants <keyword id="6365619" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="hindustan-unilever">Hindustan Unilever</keyword> (HUL) and German personal care brand Sebamed caught everyone’s attention in the media industry. The battle finally settled on January 19 as the <keyword id="48485" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bombay-high-court">Bombay High Court</keyword> allowed Sebamed to continue its advertising campaign with minor tweaks sans comparison with Rin. It made HUL’s Dove taste its own medicine, which is known for using its pH testing with a litmus paper to prove the mildness of its soap than other competitors. <div type="Youtube" id="-urr59Y65aY" title="Dove Litmus Test YouTube" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-urr59Y65aY/mqdefault.jpg"></div> In the campaign, Sebamed took a dig at HUL’s Dove, Pears and Lux claiming that it has a lower pH level than the mentioned soap brands and therefore, implying that it is better than soaps that HUL sells. The battle spiraled as HUL retaliated with a print ad and took the matter to court without giving a prior notice to Sebamed. While through an aggressive approach, Sebamed generated engagement on social media platforms and created organic PR. However, there is a thin line to tread between looking down on your competitor versus acknowledging how they let your creative juices flow by simply existing in the market. Was Sebamed’s strategy a great PR spectacle? Will it leave a long-lasting mark on the consumer's mind? How can HUL repair the dent the campaign made on its image in the market and win back its consumers? We reached out to a few experts to ask these questions. Here is what they said: <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Lloyd Mathias, Business Strategist and former APAC Marketing head of HP Inc:" text="Lloyd Mathias, Business Strategist and former APAC Marketing head of HP Inc:">Lloyd Mathias, Business Strategist and former APAC Marketing head of HP Inc:</cmsannotation> I think Sebamed played a smart gambit by precipitating a competitive war with market leader HUL, and by making consumers aware of acidity in soaps. As a new entrant and marginal player, they propelled themselves into a serious challenger by taking on bigger established brands, forcing them to respond. This helped them build huge awareness overnight that would have taken years to achieve had they not resorted to this competitive strategy. Given that Sebamed’s products are priced at a much higher level than their competitors products, for many consumers it will still be an issue of affordability. Every consumer purchase eventually is about a price-value proposition. So in that sense, Sebamed has just established its value proposition of being low on the acidity scale - and not proved that HUL’s products are inferior. I think HUL can continue to build on its huge legacy of consumer trust and its portfolio of value-for-money products, while continuing to establish the value proposition of its various brands in the personal hygiene segment. HUL’s significant distribution advantage - and products across price segments - is also a big factor that will help overcome any short term image loss. And while engaging in competitive advertising, brands should always stay focused on their core value proposition. Also, very important for them to be 100% factual and not mislead consumers. Being competitive is good but being truthful and anchored in your value proposition is paramount. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Ronita Mitra, Founder and Chief Strategist, Brand Eagle Consulting:" text="Ronita Mitra, Founder and Chief Strategist, Brand Eagle Consulting:">Ronita Mitra, Founder and Chief Strategist, Brand Eagle Consulting:</cmsannotation> For Sebamed, a new entrant in a highly saturated market with large established brands, it would have been extremely difficult to make a dent in the market unless backed by massive spends. In such a scenario, leveraging and claiming genuine product superiority backed by scientifically proven data seemed to be an audacious and a smart move, possibly the only way that they could have attracted attention and generated trials. Sebamed will need to move fast in establishing awareness of and credibility for its claims of product compatibility with skin and garner a base of trialists. Once they have got the initial base of trialists based on performance, they should evolve the communication to the next level by focusing on image and identity and building an emotional affinity with the brand, beyond performance and beyond referencing of competitive brands. It should evolve towards creating a strong independent brand story. Large, established brands across industries need to come to terms with a new reality wherein large advertising spends and large market shares are no longer a cover for sub-optimal quality of products and services. Today’s young consumer, especially, does not necessarily equate big with quality. They are open to, in fact sympathetic towards new and fresh stories, especially when backed by honest, proven data. With so much focus on brand purpose, brand purpose cannot be treated as an academic exercise, rather needs to sit as a layer on top of authenticity and transparency. In the not so distant future, HUL might be forced to improve its products and come back with re-formulated soaps that have ph-compatibility with skin to create a level playing field and strengthen its market share further with its advertising spends. Sebamed should be prepared for such a response from its largest competitor. The Sebamed case may just unleash a new wave of boldness among new brands that can genuinely deliver quality product performance regardless of the competitive environment. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Harish Bijoor, Brand Guru &amp; Founder, HarishBijoor Consults Inc." text="Harish Bijoor, Brand Guru &amp; Founder, HarishBijoor Consults Inc.">Harish Bijoor, Brand Guru &amp; Founder, HarishBijoor Consults Inc.</cmsannotation> I do not think HUL is a bully or ever has been one. HUL brands are owned by consumers, and their success is testimony to the fact that consumers are with them and their products. A marketing company cannot ever be a bully. A marketing company needs to stand with its consumers, with a firm finger on the pulse of these very consumers. I do believe HUL does that well. Sebamed's campaign on the other hand, was a smart one. They were careful in their tone, tenor and decibel of language. They appeared to be making a mere comparison on the levels of PH across soap brands. The straight line comparison was between Sebamed and Lux. The anughty and nifty equation they established subliminally in the minds of consumers is the one between Lux and Rin, with both their pH levels at 10. That was naughty. That was nifty. And that did it. Sebamed knew for sure that their ads would be pulled down. And it was, for a while. The damage had however been done. The high decibel front-ended spends by the brand ensured that communication on the story of pH was complete. The battle is still open as of now. I think Sebamed has won the image war, not the volume or market share skirmish yet. Brands must make sure that what they are saying is the truth. And that nothing is denigrative of the brand attacked. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Karthik Srinivasan, Social Media Expert and Independent Brand Consultant:" text="Karthik Srinivasan, Social Media Expert and Independent Brand Consultant:">Karthik Srinivasan, Social Media Expert and Independent Brand Consultant:</cmsannotation> I always thought Sebamed's campaign idea was both disruptive and clever. Sebamed used an attacking tactic aptly, using science to back them. That they are repeating Dove's own tactic is a good irony to observe, even though the Court has clearly mentioned that 'two wrongs do not make a right' (that is, just because Dove used pH to attack other brands earlier, it doesn't mean Sebamed has the right to use the same tactic now). Also, considering Sebamed retails in a very different, higher price range, any and every deflection from the market shares of Dove, Pears, Lux and Santoor and other soaps would be welcome and add to Sebamed's numbers significantly. Sebamed could have targeted soaps in their price range - that would be conventional marketing wisdom, to go after Kama Ayurvedic, Forest Essentials, Roots Botanica, Good Earth etc. But that would be like aiming for the room's ceiling in terms of market share - what they have done is to aim for the sky, and won, in the process, at least in terms of significant awareness! The soap brand to lose the most, in terms of perception, is Dove, since it used the same pH factor to convince people earlier that they are better. Dove would need to think through their predicament really sharply. Given the heightened trust and interest in all-things science and doctors as a result of the pandemic and the vaccines, I'd think they may use the doctor/dermatologists route to win back trust. But that's also a staple of Sebamed, so it'd be an interesting battle ahead. As for the other soaps (Lux, Santoor, Pears etc.), they have an uphill battle ahead in terms of perception building since they have been showcased as less-than-ideal. It is a great challenge for their brand teams and agencies, to deal with and come out with perception-changing communication. Competitive advertising would obviously bring both disruptive attention and unwanted animosity too - it's a double-edged sword and comes with its own risks. So, while comparing, dissect your logic and points thoroughly. Cross-question your strategy, words and communication yourself, as if you are the rival, dispassionately. Anticipate that the rival would drag you to the court - what would be their arguments? If brands diligently follow these steps, they could anticipate and identify their own weaknesses and plan for it proactively. Also, more importantly, when your brand talks down rivals, from an end-user point of view, that signals another intent - "if they can talk down rivals, then they should be ok when we (users) talk down them too", particularly for larger brands. In this case, Sebamed could be seen as an underdog, so they may have escaped this factor to some extent, even though many users may not appreciate the negativity layered in their communication.

Was Sebamed’s competitive strategy strong enough to leave a long-lasting mark on the consumer’s mind?

<ul><li>From Burger King and McDonald’s to <keyword id="44863" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hul" source="Orion">HUL</keyword> vs <keyword id="6888422" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sebamed" source="Orion">Sebamed</keyword>, rival brands have engaged in advertising wars time and again.</li><li>Here are a few of India’s most dramatic soap ad wars.</li></ul>The ad war between Fast Moving Consumer Goods giants Hindustan Unilever (HUL) and German personal care brand Sebamed, which has everyone on the edge of their seats, took an exciting turn this week. The Bombay High Court dismissed an appeal filed by USV, which retails Sebamed in India. It passed an injunction restraining Sebamed from airing its advertisements that compared the pH value of its soap to that of HUL’s Dove, Pears and Lux, said an <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/topic/hul">HUL</a> press release. Sebamed ad said that HUL’s popular <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/advertising/brands/news/bombay-high-court-permits-sebamed-ads-targeting-dove-with-no-changes-and-asks-to-put-an-end-on-luxs-comparison-with-rin/articleshow/80350849.cms">Lux and Pears</a> brands have the same pH value of Rin — HUL’s own detergent bar used to clean clothes. The pH value determines the level of acidity of a product. Though HUL did retaliate with a print ad claiming that Dove is dermatologists’ number one choice, they also filed a case against them for violating the comparative advertising laws of the land and disparaging HUL products. The court restrained from airing these ads and also termed them “disparaging" in its ruling. HUL believes that the Sebamed campaign not only denigrated its brands, it also misled consumers. pH is just one of the many parameters that go into manufacturing a soap, the FMCG major says. “It is also pertinent to note that Sebamed’s campaign was irresponsible, and that such misleading communication was issued during the pandemic, when the government and health authorities had advocated hand washing with any soap,” said Dev Bajpai, ED- legal and corporate affairs of HUL. <div type="image" title="Untitled" msid="92896277" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The Womb&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> India’s many soap wars that played like soap operas Sebamed and HUL are not the only two giants to fight in court over a competitive advertisement. India’s history of soap wars read a lot like soap operas. <keyword id="73542" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="reckitt" source="Orion">Reckitt</keyword> vs HUL <div type="image" title="Dettol vs Lifebuoy" msid="92896186" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Dettol and Lifebuoy&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> HUL has also locked horns with conglomerate Reckitt (formerly Reckitt Benckiser) in the Bombay HC. It had accused the maker of Dettol soap Reckitt of degrading HUL’s Lifebuoy soap. In 2020, Dettol Handwash made an indirect reference to Lifebuoy soap by showing a bar similar in colour and proportion and implying that the hand wash works better than a soap. HUL’s <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/hul-reckitt-fight-over-bar-soaps-corona-impact/articleshow/74932432.cms">contention </a>in <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/hul-reckitt-fight-over-bar-soaps-corona-impact/articleshow/74932432.cms">court </a>was that not only had Reckitt disparaged its brand, but was also sending a ‘wrong’ message that suggested soap and water for hand hygiene was not as effective as hand wash. HUL had reportedly <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/hul-reckitt-fight-over-bar-soaps-corona-impact/articleshow/74932432.cms">sought </a>₹1 crore in damages and a permanent injunction against the advertisement. After the court’s ruling, the advertisement was <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/after-hindustan-unilever-moves-bombay-hc-dettol-suspends-handwash-ad-6327211/">stopped </a>from airing. HUL vs <keyword id="6356684" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="patanjali" source="Orion">Patanjali</keyword> <div type="image" title="Lux vx patanjali" msid="92896238" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Lux and Patanjali&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> In 2017, the HC <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/hc-stops-patanjali-ad-targeting-huls-soaps/articleshow/60368871.cms">ordered </a>Patanjali Ayurved to stop airing its toilet soap advertisement, which allegedly disparaged HUL’s soap brands. The ad indirectly told consumers to reject ‘chemical-based soaps’ and adopt natural ones, while <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/hc-stops-patanjali-ad-targeting-huls-soaps/articleshow/60368871.cms">hinting </a>at HUL soap Lux. Patanjali had to stop airing, the case was settled.

HUL’s many soap wars with Sebamed, Reckitt and Patanjali

<ul><li>The <keyword id="48485" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bombay-high-court">Bombay High Court</keyword> on January 11 passed an injunction order after HUL took <keyword id="6888422" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="sebamed">Sebamed</keyword>’s campaign that took a dig at the company’s soap range to the court restraining its campaign from all mediums.</li><li>However, Sebamed wasn’t given a prior notice by HUL and the arguments will continue today. </li></ul>After the Bombay High Court restrained Sebamed’s commercials from all mediums, the company has now blamed rival <keyword id="6365619" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="hindustan-unilever">Hindustan Unilever</keyword> for taking the matter to court without giving a prior notice to Sebamed. “A suit was filed at Bombay High Court, by Unilever without notice to Sebamed-USV despite the filing of a caveat. The matter was therefore reheard by the Court today after this was pointed out. Arguments are continuing today (13 Jan) and Sebamed- USV continues to diligently pursue its legal rights,” said Sebamed in a media statement. The Bombay High Court on January 11 passed an injunction order after HUL took Sebamed’s campaign that took a dig at the company’s soap range to the court restraining its campaign from all mediums. In Sebamed’s advertising campaign, it had claimed that its cleansing bar is better than soaps like Dove, Rin, Pears and Lux that its competitor Hindustan Unilever offers. It also compared Lux and Pears with Rin, a detergent bar, implying that HUL’s products are inferior to Sebamed.

HUL Vs Sebamed: The battle continues as Sebamed says that it wasn’t given a prior notice by HUL

<ul><li>The recent <keyword id="871507" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ad-war">ad war</keyword> between <keyword id="6888422" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="sebamed">Sebamed</keyword> and HUL that caught everyone’s attention has come to a halt for now. </li><li>The <keyword id="48485" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bombay-high-court">Bombay High Court</keyword> held that the FMCG giant has made a strong prima facie case for grant of ad-interim relief.</li><li>The matter will now come up on January 14, 2021.</li></ul>The Bombay High Court on January 11 passed an injunction order after HUL took Sebamed’s campaign that took a dig at the company’s soap range to the court restraining its campaign from all mediums. In Sebamed’s advertising campaign, it had claimed that its cleansing bar is better than soaps like Dove, Rin, Pears and Lux that its competitor <keyword id="6365619" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="hindustan-unilever">Hindustan Unilever</keyword> offers. It also compared Lux and Pears with Rin, a detergent bar, implying that HUL’s products are inferior to Sebamed. Following this ad campaign, Hindustan Unilever (HUL) said in a media interview that the company will take a ‘suitable action’ against rival Sebamed. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="80211315" title="German personal care brand Sebamed’s dig at HUL’s Dove, Lux and Rin backfires as the company plans to take suitable legal action" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> The High Court bench also restrained the USV Private Limited and its affiliates, and their advertising agencies from using telecasting or broadcasting or communicating to the public the TVC, newspaper advertisements, hoardings and such other material in any language or any other content of similar nature. The matter will now come up on January 14, 2021. HUL confirmed the development and welcomed the order. Dev Bajpai, Executive Director, Legal &amp; Corporate Affairs said, “HUL’s brands are time-tested and have always delivered on the promise they have made to their consumers. He added that in the initial days of the Covid pandemic, HUL, as a responsible advertiser, had communicated to the masses that one could wash their hands with any soap as handwashing with soap is the first line of defense against Coronavirus.”

Sebamed’s campaign targeting HUL soaps comes to a halt for now as Bombay High court restrains its commercials from all mediums

<ul><li>Amidst the Sebamed-HUL Soap war, <keyword id="2607224" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Brinton-Pharmaceuticals">Brinton Pharmaceuticals</keyword> launches a new <keyword id="10698566" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="neobar-soap-digital-ad">Neobar Soap Digital Ad</keyword>.</li><li>It takes a dig at the giants for fixating on <keyword id="4729765" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="pH-levels">pH levels</keyword> and sexualising women. </li></ul>In a smart move, Brinton Pharmaceuticals has launched a digital film about its Neobar Moisturizing Soap as an addition to the soap war between Sebamed and <keyword id="44863" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="HUL">HUL</keyword>. The story so far is that Sebamed had slyly released a TVC that compared the PH levels of its soap with those of HULs’ namely Dove and Lux. The matter went to court and didn’t turn out to be in favour of HUL, and gave enough mileage to SebaMed, the objective thus being achieved. Following this, Brinton Pharmaceuticals had launched a #NoPHightingPlease campaign bringing focus to the point that fighting only on the PH levels is of no use as various other aspects are as much or more important while buying a soap. The #NoPHightingPlease campaign was well received by the consumers. Towards it, Brinton has now launched this digital ad that talks about Brintons’ NEOBAR Moisturizing Soap with a unique and smart twist. While being a seriously quirky yet cute video, it also highlights the features of the soap, the features that really matter at the end of the day, namely its ingredients. The digital ad has been spreading fast on social media especially on Facebook and YouTube. <div type="Youtube" id="7NmXilDJ8gc" title="Brinton’s Neobar moisturising soap Digital ad. #NopHightingPlease" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7NmXilDJ8gc/mqdefault.jpg"></div> “We wanted to bring out the aspects that really matter while deciding on a soap. But we wanted to do this in an interesting and light manner. Our objective isn’t really to bring anyone down but to help the end consumer make a much more informed decision. The digital video has been spreading like wild fire on its own. I guess at the end of the day the consumer does see through marketing gimmicks and what’s for real. We are happy with the response the digital ad has got so far.” said Rahul Darda, Chairman &amp; Managing Director – Brinton Pharmaceuticals.

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