NOSTALGIC ARCHIVES

Grouping of commercials that I grew up with. Feel nostalgic about them and hope they won’t get lost forever as time moves on. I have made this collection by googling, reading market surveys/articles and also getting some information from other peoples writings. This is just a way, people can, perhaps re-live their childhood.


RASNA - I love you Rasna

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKHo-2LNDi8&feature=related

In the mid ‘80s, Rasna ad became a huge hit when it was played right before and during the fifteen-minute cartoon, shown on Sunday evenings, Spider-Man. It showed a lot of kids
drinking Rasna, and it included the fat guy who drank a huge jug of Rasna.

At some point during this ad’s release, I think the long version had even the names of all the 10 flavors. The 11th flavor introduced Mango Ripe and got its own jingle.

Mango ripe! Mango ripe!
Naya hai Rasna Mango Ripe…
Koi samay ho koi bhi din
Rasna Mango Ripe ka din
Mango ripe! Mango ripe,
mazey ka Rasna Mango Ripe!
I LOVE YOU RASNA!

The 12th flavor was Kala Khatta, I think, and then there was Masala Soda (Jaljeera). Every time they added some new flavor, the ad and the jingle would be modified.

Once Rasna became part of the Sunday morning line-up of ads, they added a cute female (Ankita) to the ad saying: I love you Rasna! She was one more reason for the ad being a hit and her hairstyle became a huge craze.

RASNA ad sent kids scampering to parents, demanding a glassful too. Eventually the girl grew up a little bit and she endorsed another cold drink - Sudha. The ad for this drink went thus: It shows the girl, you can see she is grown up, and she says: Pehchana? Badi ho gayi hoon, na? Aur … Sudha… etc etc….


POPPINS - Goli Rainbow wali



For me, the brand evokes a feeling of nostalgia since this was among the most popular brand when I was a kid. Poppins was liked by us because of its taste, color and of course economy. Where else can you get 10 candies in a packet that too in different flavors.


LIJJAT PAPAD – Karram Kurram - Kurram Karram

Majjadaar lajjadar swad swad mein lijjat lijjat papad. He he he he he he

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSqnxoHyMF0&eurl=http://india90.blogspot.com/2007/12/rememberthe-crazy-bunny.html

I distinctly remember this being one of the standard advertisements on TV until the mid 90’s. The product itself was made by a Shri Mahila Griha Udyog, a cooperative based in Gujarat. The Sri Mahila Griha Udyog story is pretty inspiring. It was founded by seven illiterate and women who borrowed Rs 80 to start a papad business which grew from a turnover of Rs 6,196 in the first year to Rs 300 crore in the next four decades, involving over 40,000 women. The ad was
fairly simple, but its manic bunnies and the karram kurram jingle continue to haunt.


VICKS - Vicks ki goli lo, khich khich dur karo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auczCMOwJXo




VICCO TURMURIC - Haldi aur Chandan ka Anokha Sangam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGqE9kNQdjw




TATA Tea - Anu Taazgi de de, Tata ki chai Le Le

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xdmmqhjuxys

SURF – Surf ki kharidaari mein hi samajhdari hai

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN_plnOolf8&feature=related

Bhai saab, aagar itni saari safedi yadee kaam dam me mile....... tou koi yeh kyoun le, yeh na le


An obvious reference to the the cheaper competitor, Nirma (once available for Rs.3 per Kg) by Lalitaji, posing as the ‘typical no-compromise, quality conscious, bargaining Indian
housewife’ set the momentum for Surf as a brand that stands for quality at an affordable price.

Remember Lalithaji (Kavita Chaudhary) went on to achieve more fame in the television saga ‘Udaan’ portraying the real-life story of Kanchan Chaudhary.

SURF ULTRA – Dhundtey Reh Jaogay

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFGd58FTTZE&feature=related




WHEEL - Dur hoja meri nazaron se



Nimbu ke saath. This got famous as it claimed to have lemon in it but apparently the company was later sued to just have lemon perfume.


RIN - Zara sa Rin



Rin, one of the super brands in the detergent bar segment, has been the market leader. Rin was associated with whiteness at the fingertip.


PEARS - Pure & Gentle



Remember the little girl who used to see her mom through the soap in the bath tub. Pears soap has no equal. This has been one of the all time popular soaps and is many peoples favorite. It was advertised to be gentle enough, even for baby's skin. The cause of its transparency which was its main attraction, was due to retention of glycerin within the soap.


NIRMA – Doodh si Safedi
Washing powder Nirma.

Doodh-si safedi Nirma se Aaye.

Rangeen kapda bhi khil-khil jaaye.

Sub ki pasand Nirma!

Washing powder Nirma, Washing powder Nirma.

NIRMA!!



You may remember the girl in this ad who used to swirl around in skirt. There was something special attached to this ad. Maybe it is the fact that the brand name is derived from Nirupama, the company owner’s daughter who died in a car accident but whose image has become iconic with the brand.

LIRIL - La la la la la la la la laa la laa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9-1XD9VvX4&feature=related

The hottest ad in the early 80’s used to be of the LIRIL girl drenched under the falls wearing only bikini. The ad was all about waterfalls, abundant water and the girl splashing about in total abandon singing “la…la la la laaa...”The model Karen Lunel was wearing a lime green bikini at the waterfalls in Kodaikanal. It captured the imagination of an ultra-conservative Indian society.

Those days color TV viewing itself was bonus and Liril ad was a definite hit. I remember this ad and I also remember how parents used to frown at it.


KISSAN Squash



I remember the times when we used to drink lots of Kissan squash in our home during summer time. It was a luxury drink back then. Not many brands were available. The famous one was Kissan brand. Our father used to bring the orange color bottle and if we tried to touch it, our mother used to be afraid that we would break the bottle. We would also crave to lick the syrup as well without diluting it and all caution had to be made to avoid ants getting near the bottle.

GEMS



Who can forget the unique, brightly colored chocolate buttons with crispy shells, encased in a pack that's as colorful as the product itself? When this ad came on TV, it showed heaps of gems and I as a child would wish how I could break the TV so that all the Gems fell in the room ;o)

Did you know: The colorful world of Cadbury Gems does not include the color black.


PARLE G

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D4PBN0OzuE&feature=related



For several years, Parle G has been a part of the lives of every Indian. Filled with the goodness of milk and wheat, Parle G is not just a treat for the taste buds, but a source of strength for both body and mind.

I till date have Parle-G every morning with my chai. I dip the whole biscuit in the chai and then scoop it out with the spoon. My son does the same thing with milk and loves these biscuit and calls it a Baby biscuit. Thank God we have them around in US.


FEVICOL - Dum Lagake Haisha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4FIZGpt_cg

DAIRY MILK – Kuch khaas hai hum sabhi mein, asli swad zindagi ka

The pure taste of Cadbury Dairy Milk is the taste most Indians crave for when they think of Cadbury Dairy Milk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H10V5_neQrA&feature=related

However, the one with the "girl dancing on the cricket field" has remained etched in everyone's memory, as the most spontaneous & un-inhibited expression of happiness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6V-ExuyyJU&feature=related



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_2EEuW4r-w&NR=1



GODREJ CINTHOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSqaoQBgacY&feature=related



BIG FUN bubblegum



Around the 1982-83 phase, the standard offering for kids was the ubiquitous 10 paise Nutrine toffee, in the green wrapper. Higher up in the pecking order was the 30 paise bubblegum, with the 35 paise Cadbury's Eclairs occupying the top position, being the rare buy.Big fun bubblegum came wrapped in a white wrapper with pink or green stripes. To be precise, it was a pink flat piece of stone, which required substantial mastication to produce the first bubble! Kids would launch into a furious grinding operation immediately after purchase, to set the stage for bubble-blowing.

The brand initially started by offering the pictures of Disney characters to induce the kids . Big Fun era in 1985 when TVs were worming their way into most middle class homes, cricket fever was on with India due to host the 1987 World Cup. Big Fun cashed in on the interest and started releasing the picture of a cricketer, his star value translated into runs and wickets. The deal was to collect 120 runs and 10 wickets, to be exchanged for a mini-book with cricketer photos. The contest became the rage among the colony kids.


BAJAJ - Humara Bajaj

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEV8MWd1p3M&feature=related



ASIAN PAINTS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIsG2CNy5IM&feature=related




AJANTA CLOCK - Pom-Pom....Pom-Pom

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZVicxLnn6Y&feature=related



DOODH - doodh doodh doodh doodh doodh……wonderful doodh……..

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/doodh-doodh-wonderful-doodh-amul-ad/3419253572?icid=acvsv3


DHAARA – Dhaara Dhaara…Shuddh Dhaara

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTuudwy0o8w&feature=related





Remember this cute ad where the kid left his house saying no one loves him and then his Ramu Kaka brings him back from railway station saying his mom has made jalebis. The expression on the kids was so adorable when he says….. Jalebi

COMPLAN – I am a Complan Boy…. I am a Complan girl

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-fysFHfBYM&feature=related



The complete planned food! Perhaps the most expensive milk drinks in India that came in every imaginable flavor possible. I remember eating it more than drinking it.

BOURNVITA

Yummy in powder form too! They call it a chocolate drink, but it’s more malty than chocolaty. Enjoyed it, both hot and cold. I used to put few spoons in a small katori and let it solidify and make a ball out of it and enjoy the hard chocolate candy in the cheek side..

HORLICKS

Best part about the drink, the small horlicks lumps in the milk that didn’t dissolve fully. Also loved it in the powder form. It tastes like threptin biscuits which I first tasted in Singapore and thereafter threptin biscuits along with a glass of Tang became my regular breakfast.


BROOK BOND TEA

THE tea brand in India. There is Brooke Bond Taj Mahal with the famous tabla jugal-bandi ad in which Zakir Hussain plays the tabla with his dad and says Wah! Taj, Wah! in the end. Taj Mahal tea became synonymous with all tea bags in India. Other brands came later 3 Roses tea known for its perfect color, strength and aroma; Lipton green label tea-the long leaf blend with very distinct sweet aroma and a delicate taste.

BRU INSTANT COFFEE

A strong instant coffee-chicory blend, perhaps closest to the authentic decoction coffee.


BISLERI

The most popular bottled water brand in India, which became household name and synonymous with any spring or mineral bottled water in the country. At one point, it was a NRI-symbol.

GOLD SPOT - the zing thing, gold spot!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS2n18lTCSo&feature=related

The first, orange soda in the market. Collecting gold spot caps were quite a craze at one time and were traded for Jungle Book stickers. The gold spot ads too were quite funky and focused on the latest craze of the generation.

MIRINDA

Miranda took over gold spot’s popularity and was a sweeter and fizzier version.

CANADA DRY

Not the regular club sodas or the ginger ales we see here. The one in India is quite lemony. Very much like the green bottle drinks.

MOUNTAIN DEW

Do the Dew! Catering to young adventurous adults into extreme sports, this is the only drink I can think of that comes in a green bottle, but is not completely transparent. It’s a semi-opaque cool green-yellow aerated lemon-lime drink.

CITRA

It was just another green bottled drink dwarfed by Sprint and later 7’up. This was later replaced by Sprite, owned by the same guys. Sprite did quite well though.

LIMCA - Lime and Lemony Lica, Limca... Limca...

I remember this drink when the stomach got upset and mom used to give this to me. This lemony taste drink became very common and I remember at my grandmothers village people used to call all other soft drinks also as Limca. I have not heard of having any limca equivalent in other countries. I remember the street soda vendor used to sell sodas and used to sing
Limca Limca Limca…. Areee…
Pekay Jhumka Jhumka Jhumka…

Limca also publishes the Limca Book of Records, which is the Guinness equivalent in India.

SPRINT

SPRITE
It is not just the name that’s similar, the taste, the look, the feel of it, all is just like Sprint.


7UP

Funny how all the green bottled drinks lined up under each other. Was it intentional? Nah! 7’up completely took over sprint’s green-bottle monopoly with the help of a frizzy haired dude called Fido Dido. The Fido Dido stickers and wristbands became such a craze that we all obsessively collected those bottle caps and bartered some with friends to get our hands on them. Eventually, the spunky dude made it to lunch boxes and school bags, but luckily his hairstyle didn’t catch on.

THUMS UP - Taste the thunder.....

Very distinct from the other colas owing to the stronger, fizzier, and less sweet taste. Back in the days, when Coca Cola and Pepsi were still unheard of in India, the drink overshadowed a lot of its contemporaries like Campa cola, Double seven and Dukes. Interestingly, it was marketed as a manly drink, and was deliberately packaged in chafed up bottles. My husband told me that in Calcutta road side they sell masala Cola, where they add chat masala and a wedge of lime in the bottle, shake it up, it fizzes a lot and drink it. Believe me, I tried it and it really is very tasty. Now I make sure to buy thums-up from the Indian store in US just to have this masala Cola.

MAAZA - Taaza mango, maaza mango.....



Except fresh mango juice, this is the best mango drink since ever. Love it. Still buy it at the Indian store in the US.

FROOTI


The first Indian drink I know that came in paper boxes. It is a sweeter, more diluted version of Maaza. At a time when the other sodas in glass bottles were not convenient to carry, Frooti was the only thing people could buy to take to picnics or when traveling by trains.