Pretty 24 is a new cream on the block. His ad haphazardly takes on various narratives associated with fair advertising in India; however, their communication is silent on the benefits of the product. Angry (or upset) young women take their anger out on feeling betrayed by the hordes of Fairness creams on the market. The ad ends with a photo of the product, which claims that it is a cream for every skin tone. The brand targets women between the ages of 20 and 35, reports livemint.

Fairly good…

The cleansing cream market in India is quite mature. From general purpose cleansers to men’s cleansers, dark spot reduction cleansers and winter cleansers; every conceivable sub-category promise has been exploited to grow the market, which is reported to be around INR 4.500 crore, and growing! In such a scenario, creating categories through careful segmentation is the key to success for a new entrant on a crowded shelf, as the ‘Anti’ position puts the new entrant in direct competition with the rest. Additionally, the ability to leverage the existing distribution network adds to the muscle mass so critical to success. In all these aspects, Pretty 24 sits well.

The dark side…

Is Pretty 24 a little late? Is it being built on a carefully chosen plan or hunch? Or is it a manifestation of confusion on the part of the Marketer? Is it an idea whose momentum peaked about 10, 15, 20 years ago?

In India, the pride factor in one’s ‘own’ complexion has already gained ground; especially with the girls next door winning titles like Ms India, Supermodel, etc. And for the buyer of very premium international brands, complexion has never been an issue. Over the years, most brands of whitening creams have come out with formulations that offer benefits beyond gentle whitening to include, at a minimum, skin hydration.

For fairytale-inspired shoppers in Tier II and III semi-urban centers; remains ‘Fairness’ all the way to success. So who is the Pretty 24 brand for? And what is the ‘reason to buy’, is offered to consumers (unless the subsequent campaign reveals it).

The leader in the ‘Fairness’ category, ie Fair & Lovely, has gone far beyond ‘Fairness’ to ‘Trust’ and ‘Success’. There is more to the Fair & Lovely Brand as is evident in the tales told in this author’s Fair & Lovely Foundation brochure. The foundation is doing a great service to nurture talented young women.

It remains to be seen how the new entrant will affect him. Is Pretty 24 An Attempt To Cut Off An Instant Slice Of The Equity Cream Market In India? Just 1% stake translates to INR 40-50 crore!

In all fairness…

Pretty 24 has to its credit not to be one more offer. It takes immense guts to experiment, to be different. The communication and the proposal make the brand aware. But will it make a tooth? Because a brand’s prominence eventually connects with (benefit offered to) consumers; and not mere attempts to stir up resentment against other brands.