Packaged water major Bisleri International has decided to remove ‘Mountain’ water variant from its portfolio. The company’s roster will now have regular Bisleri and the relatively new natural mineral water brand of Vedica.
“Having Bisleri Mountain water in the portfolio was getting confusing for consumers and we made a mistake by launching it. It looked similar to the original Bisleri and had limited volumes and distribution. We have decided against continuing with Bisleri Mountain water and will only have the regular Bisleri. We have also shifted the creative agency for Bisleri from Red Lion to Meridian,” said Ramesh Chauhan, Chairman, Bisleri International.
In 2008, the company got into a legal case with the Himalayan brand from Tata Global Beverages.
“Himalaya is a generic name and when we advertised Bisleri Mountain as being ‘sourced from the Himalayas’, the Tatas slapped a case against us and subsequently a stay order was passed,” said Chauhan.
Bisleri Mountain was created initially for the export market nearly five years ago. It was launched in India in 2008, and pitted against the Himalayan brand in the natural mineral water category at a premium.
Subsequently, Bisleri Mountain water was priced on par with the regular Bisleri and was targeted at ‘health conscious’ consumers. A new campaign featuring a sea monster was also unleashed last year by its previous creative agency, Red Lion promoted by Elsie Nanji.
Meanwhile, due to the ongoing legal case, Bisleri was decided to launch a new brand of Vedica mountain water in 2010. Pegged at Rs 25 for a litre, Vedica is today pitted against Himalayan (Rs 20 for a litre).
“For Vedica we are using the tagline ‘sourced from the Himalayas’ as the water is sourced directly from the Himalayan ranges. It has been kept distinct from Bisleri with its yellow packaging and will have restricted distribution. There are other brands such as Catch which are also sourcing water from the Himalayas,” he said.
The company has recently unleashed a fresh outdoor campaign for its regular 500-ml brand with the message ‘Kiss to drink’ from its new agency Meridian. The purpose behind the new tagline is to promote single use drinking for its 500-ml bottle, according to the agency.
The brand has also increased price from Rs 15 to Rs 18 for its 1-litre pack.