The Hindu Business Line : Eveready ropes in Big B to promote batteries, torches

NOW Amitabh Bacchan will promote Eveready batteries and torch lights. The deal, which was struck a few days ago, was announced at a conference of the company's sales team here.

According to Mr Deepak Khaitan, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, Eveready Industries India Ltd, the deal between Big B and Eveready will be for a two-year period. Mr Khaitan preferred not to disclose the price the company will have to pay to Mr Bacchan.

"We will rebuild our brand Eveready, which will be turning hundred years in 2005. It is the largest brand in the lead acid batteries segment in India and the Big B is the best vehicle for promoting the brand."

With the appointment of Mr Bacchan, Eveready would stop using sales schemes and promotional schemes for its batteries brand and would divert almost the entire advertising and promotion budget toward television and other media advertisements.

He, however, made it clear that company would not use him to do events and there would be no public appearance by the Big B for Eveready. "It would be too costly and it is difficult to schedule it too. We had a half-an-hour meeting and it took some time to organise that," Mr Khaitan said. Mr Bachchan's photo will not be used on product packaging as he himself has insisted against it. However, his photo might be used on more than 1000 Eveready vans that distribute the company's products across India.

In the mid-nineties, Eveready launched its first major advertisement campaign with the famous slogan "Give me Red". According to Mr Khaitan, Big B is acceptable all over India and this arrangement will be a major boost to Eveready. Mr Khaitan said: "The brand Amitabh Bachchan actually transcends all barriers in India and can reach both the North as well as the South of the country and appeals to both the young and the old. This is the quality that is needed to promote the Eveready brand. This is why we signed him up."

The company has set a target for its battery sales for the next four months. It plans to sell 400 million batteries and 40 million torches in the first four months of 2004-05. It has sold more than one billion batteries in 2003-04.

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