The Tea Therapy

A narrative that invokes acceptance, togetherness and lives by the philosophy of the brand.

Hindustan Unilever (HUL) is one of those Indian Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) brands that have narrated heartwarming stories to us in the most beautiful way possible. From the ads that broke the boundaries of caste and religion to the ones where it talked about live-in relationships, HUL’s Brooke Bond has been keen on delivering its message “Swaad Apnepan Ka” (Taste of togetherness).

This time, the ad throws light on the much-neglected set of senior citizens who suffer from diseases like Alzheimer’s. Conceptualised by Ogilvy Mumbai, the ad was produced by Corcoise Films. Titled #TForTogetherness, starts with a young man entering a silent house where an elderly lady is sitting alone, looking puzzled and lost.

The narrative progresses as the man’s voiceover narrates the story of the old lady who suffers from Alzheimer’s. The narration explains how the whole society once loved the tea made by the old lady and paid numerous visits just to have a sip of tea; over time, as the old lady developed Alzheimer’s, the society started neglecting her.

The young man enters the kitchen and quickly makes two cups of tea with Brooke Bond Red Label – one for the lady and one for himself. The lady likes the tea so much that she thanks him for making such wonderful tea; but she refers to him as Amit, her son, who stays in the USA.

This touching turn when we get to know that the man is not actually her son but her neighbour brings a tear to the eye. And as the narration progresses, the man says how the society neglects and forgets people just because of a disease.

As the ad concludes, the young man gives a hard-hitting statement that the biggest disease is forgetting our own people, questioning all the neighbours, who think it is not their responsibility to take care of those in need.

Loneliness hits those with Alzheimer’s harder than it hits anyone else. At a point in time when the current generation is busy keeping up with their professional targets, consciously and unconsciously neglecting the elder generation, it is important that stories like this jolt them to rethink their commitments and priorities.

With ads like this, Brooke Bond is reinforcing its brand philosophy to make the world, better and more assimilative place. With a narrative so well weaved, Brooke Bond’s digital film #TForTogetherness effectively communicates both brand message and the soft human message asking people to do their bit in making lonely people feel befriended.

We hope the brand soon rolls out the TVC of this digital film. And for those who have not watched it yet, spare a few minutes with a cup of tea and the ad film by Brooke Bond to reflect on your priorities and realise what your little emotional investments can mean to someone.