Brand Overview
Minimalist is an Indian personal care brand built on simple, science-backed formulations and full ingredient transparency. Its Hair Serum is one of the brand’s key products, created to address common concerns like hair fall, thinning, and scalp health. The product is used by both men and women and is especially popular among urban consumers who want results without complicated routines.
Campaign Objective
The primary objective was to increase awareness and recall for Minimalist’s Hair Serum. Instead of running a standard performance-led campaign, the brand wanted to build stronger top-of-mind presence by associating the product with a high-attention, culturally relevant moment.
Key Performance Indicators
The campaign was measured on brand-focused metrics, including:
- Reach among metro audiences
- Brand awareness uplift
- Ad recall and message retention
- Quality of exposure through full-screen, non-skippable formats
Challenges
The personal care category is crowded, with multiple brands competing for attention through similar digital formats. Breaking through this clutter without over-relying on discounts or performance messaging was a key challenge. The brand needed a way to stand out while still staying relevant to its core audience.
Geography and Target Audience
The campaign targeted audiences across India’s top metro cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata.
The primary audience consisted of cricket viewers in these urban markets. While viewership skewed male, the messaging remained inclusive to reflect the Hair Serum’s unisex usage and household relevance.
Campaign Duration
The campaign ran during the live telecast of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Pink Ball Test Match, a day-night Test match format that delivers extended viewing hours and sustained audience attention.
Media Mix
- Connected TV advertising on Disney Plus Hotstar
- Fifteen-second midroll video ads placed during live match broadcasts
Strategy and Approach
Minimalist focused on placing its brand in a moment where viewers were already engaged, rather than competing for attention in scroll-heavy environments. The Pink Ball Test Match was chosen for its rarity, cultural importance, and long viewing duration.
Connected TV allowed the brand to reach audiences on large screens in a relaxed setting, improving the chances of message absorption and recall.
Execution
The brand deployed short, benefit-led midroll ads during breaks in play. These placements ensured full-screen, non-skippable exposure while keeping the message simple and direct. The creative focused on clearly communicating the product’s core benefits without overwhelming the viewer.
Could the Association of Minimalist with the Pink Ball Test Match Lead to Interest Among Customers?
The association of Minimalist with the Pink Ball Test Match was a strategically sound move to generate consumer interest. Cricket continues to be one of India’s most unifying and widely followed sports, and Test Matches—especially the rare Pink Ball versions—bring in a high volume of committed viewers. These are not casual viewers flipping through content, but deeply engaged fans who stay connected to the match for long durations.
By inserting their messaging into this emotionally rich environment, Minimalist created a stronger likelihood of product recall. The cricket format also enabled the brand to reach households during shared viewing moments, which is valuable for a unisex product like the Hair Serum. When a brand appears during a memorable match, it leaves behind an association that can trigger interest and purchase consideration later on. The campaign successfully embedded Minimalist into a high-interest cultural moment, making it more likely that customers would recall the product when considering their next personal care purchase.
Results and Impact
The campaign achieved strong visibility and recall among metro audiences. Over eighty percent of the viewership skewed male, aligning well with a key growth segment for hair care. At the same time, the inclusive messaging ensured relevance for female consumers.
By aligning with a high-stakes cricket event, Minimalist became part of a moment viewers were emotionally invested in, leading to stronger brand recall beyond the campaign period.
Key Learnings and Takeaways
- High-attention moments deliver better recall than cluttered, always-on digital environments
- Live sports on Connected TV create a premium setting for brand storytelling
- Midroll placements during live events offer strong visibility without being intrusive
- Contextual relevance matters as much as media reach when building brand memory
