Iconic Ads: Coldarin – Kya Haal Bana Rakha Hai

Anil Kapoor (later CEO, Ulka), the marketing manager at Boots had a problem, Coldarin launched in the late 1970s was struggling.

Coldarin was derived from Cold+Asprin and was formulated for colds with an increase in body temperature.

It faced competition from Saridon, Anacin & Aspro, all headache pills.

What (else) than to understand customer psychology when it came to a cold. They met customers and asked them
a) Who had colds
b) Those who did not
c) How they treated it
d) What were their feelings towards cold, etc.?

They learned that customers accept the fact that they will get the cold once or twice a year. They also felt that a cold need not be treated and it will go away by itself well within a week.

But they discovered something important – while cold as an ailment was mild, it had a debilitating effect and affected work tremendously. People could not work!

And that was the insight – why suffer from a cold when you can take Coldarin!

Clarion was the agency given the creative mandate. Coincidentally, a client servicing person Arvind Sharma (became MD Leo Burnett) wrote the famous lines “Yeh Kay Haal Bana Rakha Hai, Kuch lete Kyo Nahin”.

Prahlad Kakkar added his touch to the films.

Coldarin sales lost the cold and started warming up