'Moving from storytelling to interaction & engagement is Pidilite’s direction of travel'

Fevikwik, the all-purpose instant adhesive from Pidilite, is dialing up its proposition from quick fixes to sparking the imagination by focusing on creativity. Leveraging AI technology, the company recently launched the digital Fevikwik AI Pack sticks, powered by KwikGPT—an engine that fuses random objects keyed in by consumers into unexpected innovations.

 Taking the proposition ahead, Pidilite recently launched a consumer engagement AI brand campaign for Fevikwik. Sandeep Tanwani, Chief Marketing Officer, Pidilite Industries says, “As a brand Fevikwik has always stood for quirky ideas. If you see our brand history, right from the fishing ad, ingenuity has been baked into the concept. So, we thought, how do we contemporize, Fevikwik’s humour, and how do we bring it into the space of instant ingenuity in a manner which is very uniquely creative and attributable to the person.” With Generative AI taking centerstage to create new content and help self-expression and individual creativity, the KwikGPT engine has been trained to learn the patterns and fuse random objects to generate a different output.

 In the first phase of the campaign, users were encouraged to visit the microsite https://aipack.fevikwik.in/, enter any two objects, and after getting processed by the KwikGPT, they receive an instant result, a mashup image and a quirky name for their invention. These images are shareable and the most ingenious creations climb the leaderboard and are featured on Fevikwik’s social channels.

Shared Tanwani, “The consumer’s imagination can bring any two products together and come out with a third product meant for a different purpose. We've moved from storytelling by allowing people to express their imagination and giving interactivity in their hands. This is very uniquely Fevikwik with the brand being the catalyst of creativity. Instant ingenuity is best expressed through AI, and that’s why AI was used in the campaign. The humor, storytelling and the contextuality is all very Indian. This campaign has resonated brilliantly with the digitally savvy consumer.”

The first three digital films, in the first phase of the campaign, shows three different scenarios where an umbrella and headphones are combined to form Monsoon Beats, one object that can protect you from rain while you continue listening to music. Similarly, a waist belt and a watch make a Time Waist while a chopping board is fused with a vanity mirror to form Cute Chops with a Fevikwik AI Pack. Tanwani says, “The Fevikwik AI Pack is a virtual pack. We have a disclaimer at the end of the advertisement asking consumers to pick up their Fevikwik Pack at stores. We branded this as Fevikwik AI Pack to give it an identity in the virtual space. The fact is that if you were to call it an AI pack, it allows people to understand that this is meant for creativity.” He adds, “For a long time, Fevikwik has developed an equity on instant repair. From being known for instant repair, ‘Fevikwik Chutki Mein Chipkaye, we have elevated the promise to repair and also creativity with 'Chutki Mein Kalakaari'; that is the magic of the campaign.”

 In the first phase, the campaign targeted the digitally savvy consumers and digital natives to “experience the power of creativity.” He explains, “The AI engines that we developed bespoke for this campaign targets the digitally savvy consumers.” With digital being the lead channel, digital platforms have been used not just for communication and storytelling, but also for interactive consumer engagement. Post the engagement, consumers are nudged to amplify and share their creations. Continuing the engagement and adding gratification, the weekly winners take home ?10,000, while the ultimate Chutki Mein Kalaakari Champion bags a grand prize worth ?5 lakh.

The brand is also betting on influencers to educate as well as to ‘tap into the creator economy.’ The brand is using mega influencers for two large objectives - to create awareness about Fevikwik AI, educate consumers on usage of the tool and drive interactivity by sharing consumer user generated content. Regional influencers have also been utilised for education. He adds, “Fewikwik is a brand which appeals to almost each and every demographic segment. We are trying maximize our reach on that using influencers. The entire mix has been put together around creativity, shareability and the ability to even humor. This has given the campaign a big resonance with the audiences that we are looking to target.”

In Phase II of the campaign, a TVC has been released that captures the banter of a middle-aged couple over a forgotten anniversary date with Fevikwik, as usual hilariously, coming to the rescue. While the first phase was digital and influencer driven, in phase II, television, digital, and social media platforms are part of the mix. Tanwani says, “Our new ad reflects Pidilite’s playful spirit while staying rooted in everyday consumer reality. By weaving humor into relatable situations, we aim to make Fevikwik more than just an adhesive—it’s a brand that connects emotionally too.” He adds, “This is a large campaign. There is a slew of initiatives planned with a key focus on the amplification of user-generated content. We are now getting into the festive season and this is a period where creativity actually finds a space of utility as well.”

On a final note, he says, “We pick things which are very unique to the Indian culture. Our endeavor is to raise the cultural resonance of our brands, and putting more power in the consumers’ hands. Moving from storytelling to more interaction and engagement is the direction of travel for us on each of the brands at Pidilite. We want to continue to be true to our roots and take the legacy of our brands to newer audiences, and in this case, digitally savvy audiences.” He continues, “I want to reiterate that the Fevikwik campaign is also a celebration of India's instant ingenuity and the love for hacks and because of Fevikwik’s iconic stature can build that instant ingenuity at scale, and help consumers in their self-expression. We'll be happy to be identified as an icon that is a catalyst for creation.”