The brands of war

Two different recent events triggered my thinking about brands that are born during wartime. First, the tragic war in Ukraine, which has had a deep impact on many of us. It is devastating to see such loss and destruction. 

I pray that peace returns soon to this wonderful land. Second, a small and private event in my home, when we decided to eat rava idlis for breakfast last Sunday. So, we cut open a new pack of MTR’s Rava idli mix, a brand that we love. 

And suddenly, an old memory came to my mind — wasn’t there some connection between MTR’s famous rava idlis and a war? I also asked myself, are there other similar products and brands that have been born during wartime? Here are four interesting stories that I discovered.

Wartime idlis

During World War II , India faced a shortage of rice. Idlis, a staple breakfast food in South India, were an immediate casualty of this short supply, since rice is a key ingredient. Enter an innovative chef, Yagnanarayana Maiya, Founder of Mavalli Tiffin Rooms (MTR) in Bangalore. 

He experimented with other ingredients that were easily available, and found that he could make excellent idlis using semolina (called rava in many Indian languages) instead of rice. It is said that he also innovated by adding some curds and curry leaves to the batter, steamed the whole concoction in small vessels, and out came delicious idlis! 

Soon, rava idlis became very popular, and they also greatly enhanced the popularity of the MTR brand. Today, while rava idlis continue to be the signature dish at MTR restaurants, MTR has also become a well known brand which produces and markets a wide range of packaged foods, ranging from pickles to ready-to-cook gravies. But World War II and the discovery of rava idlis was an important inflexion point for the brand.

Sandal soap

Not far from where MTR is located, an earlier war led to the invention of a brand in an entirely different category. The kingdom of Mysore was the largest producer of sandalwood in the world, and this product was exported globally. 

However, during World War I, the exports of sandalwood were badly impacted, and therefore a lot of surplus quantity was left over in Mysore and Bangalore. What could be done with this huge quantity of precious wood? 

Sir M Visvesvaraya, the famous engineer, stepped in. He thought that sandalwood could be used to produce a good quality, affordably priced soap that would also have aspirational value. After some experiments at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and a learning mission to England by a young Indian scientist named SG Shastry, a formula was finalised.

The Mysore government then began a factory to manufacture sandal soap. Much like MTR’s rava idlis, Mysore sandal soap soon became hugely popular because of its luxurious aroma and texture. It continues to have a cult-like following until today.

People’s car

Yet another wartime brand that has gained cult status across the world is Volkswagen (People’s Car, in German language). Even as Adolf Hitler was preparing the ground for World War II, he directed the production of a basic, sturdy, cheap car for German families. A few years earlier, the designer Ferdinand Porsche had already created a prototype for such a small car, and the project now took off in right earnest. 

Hitler also funded a government-owned factory to make these cars. Here, the Volkswagen Beetle was born, in 1938. During the war, the factory turned to making military vehicles for the German armed forces, alongside a few Beetles which were manufactured for military officers. And then, a few years after the war ended, the Volkswagen Beetle became an iconic symbol of West Germany, gaining enormous popularity across the world.

Imaginative drink

In the same land where Volkswagen was born, another iconic global brand took shape during World War II. The Coca Cola company was unable to produce and market Coke in Germany, because the US had banned trade with Nazi Germany, and hence the famous concentrate syrup could not be imported. The head of Coca Cola Germany put on his thinking hat, and decided to create a drink from locally available ingredients.

He identified beet sugar, whey and apple pomace, which could be easily sourced, and used them to create a fruit drink, quite different from Coca Cola. His team and he then creatively named it Fanta, which is a derivative of the German word for imagination (Fantasie). After the war ended, the Coca Cola company took the brand to many other markets. Today, Fanta — best known for its orange variant — is available in more than 100 flavours worldwide. We know it well in India, too.

There are many other brands of war. As the timeless adage goes, necessity is the mother of invention. Wars, and the sharp disruptions they cause, end up being one of the greatest triggers of new necessities. That’s when marketers put on some of their best thinking caps.

Harish Bhat is Brand Custodian, Tata Sons. These are his personal views. 

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