University of Freshology has closed down. All the students now can take the road because " Rasta Clear Hai"..
How sad that a brand like Sprite struggling to find a sustainable positioning . The brand which made its presence felt in the Indian market with a very clear and simple positioning based on the core benefit of softdrink - Quenching Thirst. That positioning made Sprite the market leader in the category and in 2009, the brand was the second largest soft drink brand in India.
Over the last few years, the brand ditched its focus on thirst and went after other positioning ideas. The struggle continues till date with the brand changing its communication themes every year. Last year , the brand introduced a much hyped concept of University of Freshology with some un-creative campaigns which in my opinion failed to excite the market. It may be because of that reason , the brand decide to bring back its positioning based on its erstwhile " Clear Hai " theme.
This summer, the brand is running a campaign with the new tagline " Rasta Clear Hai "
Watch the TVC here : Sprite Rasta Clear Hai
A campaign which further deteriorates the core brand identity of Sprite. The tagline Rasta Clear Hai means the "road is clear " which means what for the brand ? What is the value that this tagline or positioning is giving for the brand ? The brand owners may have wanted to convey that Sprite drinkers know their way ( how to get their things done ) but this positioning lacks the sustainability factor.
The question is from this ad to what ? How is the brand going to build on this concept of " Rasta Clear Hai " . My guess is that this theme will be for the summer of 2012.Then there will be another quick fix formula.
Sprite has already lost its charm as a very clear, no-nonsense brand. Thankfully the competition 7UP is doing much worse... Solace.
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There is an old saying in Tennis ( attributed to Bill Tilden) which says "Never change a winning game, always change a loosing game. The Sprite brand has clear lost its way ( And I am not making fun of its lost campaign). It needs to go back to what worked for it really well.
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