‘We nearly dropped Zakir Hussain,’ recollects former Unilever exec about Taj Mahal Tea ad

Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain’s death has left a void in not only the world of Indian classical music but also the country's advertising community. Hussain became a household name after he appeared in the iconic ad for Brooke Bond Taj Mahal Tea in 1988.

The jugalbandi between Hussain and Brooke Bond Taj Mahal is one for the ages, equating the musician’s dedication to his craft with the brand’s commitment to quality.

The brand went on to have a lasting relationship with its ambassador until one day in 1995 it nearly didn’t. According to a LinkedIn post by industry veteran Shiv Shivakumar, the brand was plagued by what was called the “wallpaper effect.”

Shivkumar who was a Marketing Manager with Unilever (now Hindustan Unilever) back in 1995 said the brand decided to drop Hussain after feedback from consumer research.

“We looked at all consumer research and the consumer said " The tabalchi comes plays the tabla says Wah Taj". There was a wallpaper effect. As a team we decided to drop Zakir and we checked about 6 new concepts with upcoming Indian maestros. The verdict, surprisingly consumers said Zakir was in his own league and these stars couldn't touch him,” he wrote.

It was a reality check from Unilever ad guru Michael Bronsten that made his team comprising Laurie Robertson, John Stuart, Atishi Pradhan, Deepa, Jagdip Bakshi and Rukmini Gupte go back to the drawing board. “I was in London and went to meet the Unilever advertising guru Michael Bronsten. He was aghast that I was planning to drop Zakir. He said " You have no clue between you and the agency. You are getting wallpaper feedback because you are producing wallpaper advertising." That was the slap we needed,” he wrote.

They built a new context: instead of Hussain entering the world of Taj, they had Taj entering the world of Hussain.

They fought back negative feedback, which paid off when the brand grew double digits for the next three years.

“A few years later, Zakir told me and Jagdip ‘You guys have done such a great job of linking me to Taj that other brands test my name for advertising and consumers tell them this is the Taj Ustad.’ He never took any other offer,” wrote Shivkumar.

“He was just as proud of the brand as we were about his legendary talent. RIP Ustad. We carry fond memories of the great magic you created in reviving the brand,” noted the exec.

In the coming years, Brooke Bond Taj Mahal stayed true to its association with musical artists and featured famous musicians such as santoor player Rahul Sharma, sitar maestro Niladri Kumar and more recently, singer Nirali Karthik. However, it was its association with Hussain that created the most lasting recall for the brand.