MUMBAI: The already crowded FMCG market has another addition with Gopal Coprco Ltd (GCL), a well known name in the tobacco segment, entering the snack segment. The company has come up with Tat-O potato chips and has roped in none other than kids‘ most popular Chhota Bheem to roll out its first TV campaign.

With most brands not positioning themselves directly to the kids, GCL decided to cater this audience and position the product for the need gap. Hence, the brief was simple enough - with a need to be different, GCL went ahead with the tie-up with product licensing with popular character to generate a pull for the brand. For the first time in India, the category would have the cartoon character and his team in the commercial and packaging.

On the tie-up with the toon character, GCL‘s marketing head Aditya Joshi says, "Tying up with the iconic toon character Chhota Bheem was a well thought out decision keeping in mind the huge popularity of the character with kids pan India more so in our market of focus i.e. North. Leverage on its equity, the brand has helped us with making favourable inroad for the product."

From Here On Communications, based in Delhi, is the creative agency for the product. From the brand name to the packaging, every element of brand of the new entrant was carefully crafted to etch out a distinct personality. "When it came to the communication, we were clear that Tat-O needed to move clear of the category norm of Bollywood/Cricket celebrity endorsees. When we saw Chhota Bheem, we found a character who resonated strongly with the target consumers and with the Tat-O brand values," says From Here On Communications managing partner Gullu Sen.

In the TVC, Chhota Bheem along with his friends can be seen taking a break from their laddoos and enjoying the taste of Tat-O and dancing to a catchy song - Tat-O ka taste hai so magnetic, ke haath badhe automatic!, performed in the style of the popular series.

"The communication has been kept extremely simple. The jingle was composed to grab the attention of our core consumers and their parents. The line has its roots in a simple category insight - snacking, most of the time, is an involuntary activity. Tied to this is the brand‘s promise of delicious, crisp chips, and both lead automatically to the promise of automatically grabbing a pack of the chips," adds Sen.

The campaign is on air on selected children‘s networks, and is supported by vibrant POS on ground. It will also be supported by an integrated marketing campaign with Chhota Bheem mascot.

GCL has invested Rs 50 crore for this venture.