Century Ply ad campaign to focus on families and homes

Century Ply is launching on May 31 a new advertisement campaign featuring actor Nana Patekar.

Amit Gope, Marketing Head of Century Ply, told Business Line that the new campaign highlights the company’s range of plywoods, laminates and veneers.

Century Ply operates in a category that is only 30 per cent organised and is largely driven by retailers and carpenters. Advertising in this category has so far been led by its competitor, Greenply.

“Century Ply as a brand has not really followed a defined communications strategy. This campaign addresses that need. The earlier campaign was based on the durability of its plywood and was single product-centric,” Gope said.

Century Ply’s other offerings — laminates and veneers — were not quite recognised, concluded a survey conducted before conceptualising the campaign.

Gope said the campaign attempts to re-define the outlook for the category. It is also seeking a “leadership stance” in terms of communication, much like the paint industry did to promote its brands.

The six-week initial television media plan focuses on general entertainment, regional and news channels. Hindi speaking markets are the prime target. Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Bengal will be the focus among regional channels.

The campaign will also be supplemented on the radio for three weeks. Digital media will play a critical role and the company’s Web site has a new look as well.

The campaign’s four TVCs, created by Mudra DDB, will have emotional, family themes in an attempt to sway consumer preference. The ads revolve around surfaces, which are witness to everyday moments of joy and happiness, and focus on families and furniture, and how these become more than products.