Does anyone today remember Afghan Snow, the original fairness cream that used to be advertised on Radio Ceylon? Or for that matter Charmis Cream that used to be marketed in fancy glass container with pink cap? Binaca toothpastes had 3 variants – green, top and flouride and all three packs had miniature animals inside that children used to collect fondly, while Forhans had original that didn’t foam and a flouride variant that was more normal! Signal had stripes, though Maclean’s never attained big popularity! While vestiges of Ambassador and Fiat can still be seen on the roads of Kolkata and Mumbai respectively, Standard is consigned to history! I just read about the plans to revive iconic motorcycle brand “Java” that once formed one part of the troika, others being Yezdi and Rajdoot! I don’t think many people would have heard about Dalima or JB Mangharam, two iconic biscuit brands that no longer exist. How about Flag mint bar that had a flag of one of the countries inside the wrap, avidly collected by children? Delite and Petuit Berry were super popular biscuits that ceased to exist even though the company making them is going strong! Once famous and almost monopolistic shampoo brand Halo is seldom seen on shop shelves!
It takes years of hard work, advertising support, marketing efforts for a brand to catch fancy of the consumers, but several brands lose out even after attaining iconic status. This could be ascribed to new technology (automobiles), competition (toothpaste, biscuits), lack of innovation (cosmetics, toiletries) or failure of the company making a particular brand to survive! Under the circumstances long surviving brands like Colgate, Coke, Lux, Parle G , Bournvita etc deserve a salute! I think a brand needs an emotional connect with consumers to survive in long run.
Arvind Arya blog 
Respected Sir, Yourself are versatile as this time it is Pink Paper editorial. It is remarkable when we see yourself writing on social, political, ethical , inspirational, economical, financial subjects and now adding taste of marketing(branding) for readers. It is like I was reading Al ries and Jack Trout. Right written Dalima coconut which in my childhood used to eat which is no longer existing.Yezdi was esteemed mobike brand that extuingished(trying a comeback). True facts and analysis by Yourself , brand builders will like to work on Emotional connect.
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Don’t put me on such a high pedestal. Yes I can say one thing that whatever I write, I do so from my heart. Thanks for your continuous support to my writing
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Umm. 😀. I remember most of the brands you mentioned. Afghan snow was chiefly used in summer, as opposed to cold cream in winter. It made people look fairer. But all snows have disappeared from the market now, probably also with Lactocalamine another fairness gel. The list of old toothpaste brands brought back many memories. I stayed in hostels through school and college, where everyone used a different brand, though the majority used Colgate even then. You forgot to add Kolynos which was what my father used and it was the tastiest of all the toothpastes I ever ate! And I tasted them all. The worst was Neem which tasted bitter. Of the scents of the time Aguru and Evening in Paris come readily to mind. Aguru is still around with the same bottle design and the same sickly sweet smell and it is used almost exclusively for puja/shradh purposes. It is sold only by the shops that sell all Puja paralhanellia. As children we were also made to put oil in our hair and the oils of choice were Shalimar coconut oil and Castor oil, Jabakusum etc. Of the old brands that have stood the test of time also include Boroline Antiseptic Cream (beating upstart competitors like Borocalendula and Borodula ) and Burnol ointment used for treatment of burn injuries. Brasso lives on to polish all brassware and Silvo, silverware… Cobra boot polish has bowed out of the market but Kiwi rules the roost.. Surprisingly, Quaker Oats remains in the market after God knows how many years… Certainly over a hundred.. 😀
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Yes Dada; actually with all these inputs the theme deserves another blog
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😀 😀 😀
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