Thums Up was at the crossroads again. The \u201cHappy days are here again with Thums Up\u201d followed by \u201cFood, Friends and Thums Up\u201d & “The Refreshing Cola” had done their part. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But things needed to change with Pepsi on the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The main features of Thums Up are that it is more carbonated, stronger and less sweet than the rest – a masculine\/manly taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The call was to move Thums up away from the teens having fun to renowned action-driven men who would go to any extreme to sample the intense taste of Thums Up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Ashok Kurien of Ambience who handled advertising for the brand was stuck creatively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Exasperated, he reached out to his friend, Bugs Bhargava Krishna who was working in Contract and shuttling between Bangalore and Mumbai. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ashok briefed Bugs on the issue. Bugs went back to Bangalore and drank many bottles of Thums Up. He liked the \u2018Hit\u2019 which the Thums Up gave after every drink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Bangalore Airport, while returning, he was having yet another Thums Up and a strong burp hit him resembling a more thunderous bellow!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just then a Bangalore summer storm hit. The rumbling in the sky sparked the fact that drinking Thums Up was like tasting thunder. He wrote the line on a napkin and kept with it himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He met Ashok the next day and before presenting the line was building his case. The impatient Ashok said, \u201c F&^% the preamble, just tell me the line\u201d. Bugs gave him the napkin. Ashok read it, kept quiet and finally blurted out \u201cyou ba@$^#%, you have done it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And then they got themselves drunk in celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The following evening they met again with Elsie Nanji (co-founder and creative director) and her husband Hossi Nanji, who composed the Thums Up jingle. They discussed many ideas for the TVCs and finally came up with 6 for the launch of the campaign. It was lifestyle advertising, but not too much, more a way of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The stories revolved around situations where Thums Up was the winner. Which also tied to thunder, as a round of applause. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shantanu Sheorey, a popular photographer, had recently entered film production, and he filmed the commercials<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A secret not known to many is that Ashok wrote the Hindi translation – Toofani Thanda<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The team at Parle was not convinced though. They questioned how a sound can be tasted. But Ramesh Chauhan decided to go with the recommendation from Ambience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n