Brand Saga: When Maggi fought back...

Did you know that Maggi set foot in India when the country was alien to noodles as a snack? Through the Maggi advertising journey, we find out what made the ‘two-minute’ revolutionary noodles a quintessential part of our lives.

Did you know that the hidden treasure inside the packet we call the ‘Tastemaker’ wasn’t dug inside it always? After the launch of the original product and facing stiff competition, Maggi’s makers introduced the tastemaker, the flavoring agent in 1997. In 1999, the ‘Fast to Cook, Good to Eat” mantra helped Maggi to find a place in people’s hearts. And with this Brand Saga, we unfurl many such lesser-known instances from the Maggi Advertising Journey.

For a country so rooted and culture too grounded, Indians preferred all things desi. Let aside the chips and biscuits, the snacking category had to be created for the masses who preferred eating homemade poha or idli for breakfast or snacks. Amidst a strong inclination towards traditional flavors, Maggi saw its humble beginnings in 1982 when it was first rolled out in the market as ‘Instant Noodles’.

With 28 states, at that time, boasting of varied cuisine and tastes it was almost impossible to get into the roots and introduce the category to the locals.  

Also Read: 15 Must-Read Brand Sagas: Blast from the Past

The convenient snack was targeted at working women in the early days and later changed its positioning to kids after it realized that it wasn’t doing well. Soon, packaged in different variants of masala, tomato, chicken, and curry, Maggi brought a new wave of quickly cooked food for Indians.

With affordable pricing and different size packaging, Nestle tapped on its challenges and problem statements actively. It started weaving impressive taglines around the product for instance: 2 minutes noodles which defined its convenience, ‘Taste bhi Health bhi' rooting for staying healthy, and many more which followed later.

The Big Ban!

Like any other iconic brand, Maggi too had its ups and downs. Who wouldn’t remember the historic ‘Maggi Ban’ which led the brand to come back stronger and retain the leadership position where it stood for years. The #WeMissYouToo campaign captured the essence of the brand's affinity.

In the words of eminent Brand Consultant Harish Bijoor – “Maggi has positive memory strokes from generations of Indians who are still alive. These are the folk that has their fondest memory attached to the piping hot noodle in 2-minute format.”  

To know more about the hidden gems from the Maggi advertising journey take a look at the detailed saga here.