Reebok- It’s you vs. everyone"

The footwear industry in India had not been promoting their stuff on the television scene. The premium brands such as Nike, Reebok, and Adidas were spending less on television and more on billboards, print, internet and other forms of media. Nike and Adidas have been concentrating on team sponsorship for cricket teams and tournaments along with kits sponsorship, logos on bats, pads, helmet and other cricketing accessories.

Puma which is coming to India very soon has resulted in atleast one brand, Reebok upping the ante. The latest TV commercial to have hit the idiot box shows girls locking up all the houses of the locality so that they are the only one to get their hands, or rather their legs in the Reebok shoes. One of the girls gets the 40% off poster which she intelligently hides from the prying eyes of her competitors.

Following are a few of the things of note in the ad:

1. With a discount of 40%, a premium brand has gone for massive sales promotion. This is complemented by television ads mentioning about the sales promotion. It seems a first time where a sales promotion has been promoted through Television in a campaign style inspite of television being the costliest medium. How this affects the brand equity of Reebok remains to be seen.

2. The ad tagline “Its you vs. everyone” is an attempt to put the usual way of informing the customer about the sale is an unusual way i.e. through exclusivity or the offer i.e. unlimited stocks. This is a better and much effective way.

3. It tries to show the ‘envy’ factor where the customer is shown to do everything and anything possible to grab that brand.

Reebok also did the Mahendra Singh Dhoni/ Bipasha Basu campaign which although was ‘hot’ on the celebrity quotient, fell cold because of no creativeness in the ad and no clutter breaking copy.

The results for the Reebok campaign are awaited, not just on sales but also on the brand equity for Reebok