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Dare to be different

Sprite wants you to defy the labels and be yourself 

Who would you rather be — the cool wannabe or the casual underdog? Would you succumb to the expectations of society or would you rather overlook the norms and remain who you are – even if it means being called a ‘dud’. Sprite enacts this very question that baffles every GenY. How? Pit two very relatable characters against each other, add to that some good old wisdom disguised as Sprite’s ever-familiar ‘Clear Hai’ message. And there you have it, another sharp and witty campaign in the Chhote Bade series.

“Sprite has always stood for authenticity and providing a refreshingly clear point of view to navigate the noise around us. It has always been its best when it has had the clarity and foresight to not fall prey to herd mentality,” elaborates Abhijit Datta, director — flavours, Coca-Cola India. While Sprite’s tagline has been around for years, the latest TVC reinforces the brand message from the perspective of a wise Sprite bottle (Bade) and a gullible empty glass (Chhote). Needless to say, it is quite the portrayal of the younger generation – a story where the ‘stud’ as appealing as he is perceived to be is no match to the hardworking but lesser appealing ‘dud’. The moral being, you can be a ‘stud’ when you’re not following the crowd – something that also happens to match Sprite’s ideology along the years.

“We wanted to show a mirror to the society. You don’t have to be what the society wants you to be. The real you is the best you,” assures Kapil Arora, president (North), Ogilvy & Mather. Commenting further on the second campaign in the Chhote-Bade series, Datta agrees. “It’s often a tough balance between pre-empting a mainstream trend (that often risks becoming a mindless habit) and having an incisive take on it.”

So the next time you feel the urge to follow the crowd, uncork a bottle of Sprite and take a sip for that clarity in thought — why be someone else when you can be yourself?