Showing the magic behind the brand: Unilever Brasil

As mentioned in an earlier post: when it comes to brand architecture, most FMCGs apply the same techniques. But Unilever Brasil seems to be deviating from this idea.

In 2004 it shifted from a pure house of brands approach and started to include its corporate identity in its communications. This coincided with a redesign of their logo. In 2008, Unilever Brasil launched an advertising campaign (created by Ogilvy & Mather Brazil) to put the focus on the corporate image and more specific on the logo. The campaign consisted of five commercials with a feel-good atmosphere, each one of them tried to communicate some feelings, while introducing the flagship brands and explaining the corporate logo.

Some Unilever commercials: human potential, community involvement and self esteem.

Now that Unilever Brasil is celebrating its 80th anniversary, the consumer is confronted with the Unilever brand through all sorts of promotion and advertising. In this campaign, which uses Brazilian talk show host Faustão as a celeberity endorser, Unilever puts the the focus on its flagship brands (Ades, Axe, Lux, Rexona, Hellmann's, Seda, Knorr, Omo, Kibon and Dove). Promotion is done through use of impressive point of sales displays and a product code on the back of each of their top brands. This code, after surfing to their website or using sms, is an entry in a competition with prizes up to 2 million reals (about 780 000 euro).

According to Unilever, the shift in communication in 2004 aimed to achieve higher levels of transparancy and accountability for its brand. In a world were there is an ever increase for private label brands this might also be a way to protect market share, this by showing the people that behind each of the main brands is some Unilever "magic". This anniversary campaign is a strategic experiment for Unilever all over the world, to see if this degree of brand communication pays off, says Luiz Dutra Jr, VP Corporate Affairs Unilever Brasil.

Although there are a lot of risks involved in this strategy, I think Unilever has found a good opportunity to show their brand. What is your opinion?