Amul Body

Challenge
Amul is a beloved dairy brand in India. The brand competes on a global scale as the 12th largest dairy company in the world. Amul, short for Anand Milk Union Limited, is India's leading manufacturer of milk and dairy products, specializing in butter, yogurt, ice cream, and cheese. Amul originated in 1946, in response to the exploitative practices of Polson Dairy. We were tasked with analyzing Amul through an anthropological lens to create a brand extension for the company in a new industry, building on the brand’s strong perception and financial success.

Process
Competitive audit
Consumer research
Positioning framework
Creative concepting
Naming strategy
Naming development

Strategic Response
In India, dairy plays a key role in the creation of many of India’s most popular dishes, nutrients in milk are used in Ayurvedic practices, and cows are considered divine in Hinduism, granting purifying nectar. Milk has been used to revitalize skin for thousands of years. The tradition of bathing in milk was started by queens and noblewomen in ancient India.

The Indian skincare market is growing, and represents a tremendous opportunity to enter the space. The market is expected to exceed 10 billion dollars by the end of the decade. Despite this fast-paced growth, the market lacks an accessible, down-to-earth skin care brand that is for India, by India. Although some Indian brands promote products that feature the ingredient or incorporate the word “milk” into their product offering, they have been slow to adopt milk as a main ingredient. This leaves white space to capture this market and introduce a product that connects Indian skincare with this deeply rooted tradition.

The Products
The brand extension will be an accessible skincare line called Amul Body with three products: Moisturizing face cream, hydrating body butter, and soothing cleansing milk. Building upon the iconic mascot, The Amul Girl will be highlighted on the packaging, further building the brand equity. The products will be written in English on the front and Hindi on the back to ensure that the information is accessible to all.

The Campaign
Traditionally, along with its positive skincare benefits, milk has been used as a form of a skin whitening in India. India has a long and complicated history of colorism, discriminating against citizens with darker skin tones, which stems from the history of the caste system, colonialism, and conflicting religious ideologies. Light skin is associated with power, elevated status, and beauty. To counteract the colorism associated with milk-based products and confront the stigma around dark skin head-on, Amul will launch a campaign alongside the Amul Body products with the tagline, “Healthy skin for all of India” to show that all skin tones are beautiful.