Seagram’s Xclamat!on Mixers: Innovative Marketing Strategy

Seagram’s Xclamat!on Mixers entered the market with a fresh and unconventional approach. Instead of following the typical launch pattern featuring a reveal film and outdoor ads, the brand posed a simple yet intriguing question: What happens when expression is absent? From the very beginning of the planning phase, the team aimed to create an impactful moment that would resonate with consumers even before they encountered any communication from the brand.

This brand philosophy centres on self-expression. Xclamat!on is tailored for a generation that conveys emotions in bursts. The concept revolves around living in ‘Xclamat!ons’. To exemplify this idea, Seagram’s decided to remove a key symbol that young people widely utilise to express energy: the exclamation mark.

Strategic Partnership with Bobble AI

To bring this concept to life, Seagram’s Xclamat!on Mixers collaborated with the popular mobile keyboard app Bobble AI, which boasts 75 million monthly active users, a significant portion of whom align with the brand’s target demographic. On a typical morning, users would unlock their devices and type familiar greetings. However, phrases like “Good Morning” appeared unexpectedly dull, and “Hey” felt incomplete as the exclamation mark was missing from their keyboards. Within hours, this lack of punctuation became a focal point of discussion.

Viral Reactions and Consumer Engagement

Influencers, including Kusha Kapila and Srishti Dixit, expressed their humorous frustration at not being able to convey excitement. Memes emerged, theories circulated, and curiosity grew. The hashtag #AddXclamationToLife quickly soared to the top trending spot on X.com India.

Just two days later, the exclamation mark reappeared in the Bobble AI ecosystem, marking the announcement of the Seagram’s Xclamat!on Mixers launch. With the return of the symbol, the energy, tone, and expressive flair that the initiative had temporarily taken away also returned. At that moment, consumers grasped the story behind the brand.

Insights from Leadership

Debasree Dasgupta, CMO of Pernod Ricard India, explained the rationale behind this creative decision. The energy infused into the brand name ‘Xclamat!on’ resonates with its youthful audience. The exclamation mark played a crucial role in the brand’s identity, evident from its packaging to its marketing communications. The difference between saying “Hello” and “Hello!” is significant. Removing the exclamation mark prompted reflections on life without it, creating an opportunity for consumers to experience the brand’s essence. The approach not only aimed to boost brand awareness but also aimed for tangible business outcomes.

In the creative teams at Ogilvy North, the strategy was clear: evoke the brand’s meaning by highlighting its absence. Prakash Nair, President of Ogilvy North, articulated this, stating that they sought to make people feel the essence of ‘Xclamat!on’ by eliminating the exclamation mark, thus rendering every message flat. This tiny mark encapsulates a vast array of emotions, and its removal served as a playful method to illustrate the brand’s core essence.

Significant Impact on Social Media

The media team at WPP Media South Asia recognised the powerful effect of this concept. Ajay Gupte, President of WPP Media South Asia, remarked that the idea captured attention online, trending on X.com and encouraging lasting engagement among younger demographics. The campaign not only raised awareness for Seagram’s Xclamat!on Mixers but also created a cultural phenomenon that introduced the brand with a vibrant, lively spirit, ensuring many individuals became acquainted with it.

From a technological perspective, the activation was impressive in its straightforwardness. A solitary symbol vanished from millions of keyboards, igniting a national conversation. Ankit Prasad, CEO of Bobble AI, commented on the unique application of technology to tell the brand’s story, noting the remarkable engagement across the Bobble AI platform. This collaboration was one of their most creative and synergistic campaigns, and they took pride in launching it together.

On social media, the brand engaged actively in discussions sparked by the campaign. Renee Mitra, Executive VP at Blink, underscored the significance of this involvement. Tying the brand into the activation was crucial. The brand’s account played an integral role in owning the narrative, as younger audiences seek authenticity in conversations, proving that marketing of this kind is more effective than traditional methods.

The scale of this campaign was noteworthy, but the underlying sentiment was even more essential. The initiative did not only introduce a new mixer range; it encouraged young individuals to reflect on their modes of self-expression while positioning Seagram’s at the heart of that dialogue.

With a launch that turned punctuation into a cultural discussion point, Seagram’s Xclamat!on Mixers has made a bold debut. The brand has shared its narrative through a moment that is youthful, vibrant, and unmistakably expressive, setting the groundwork for what lies ahead.

Campaign Credits

Client: Pernod Ricard India. Brand team – Debasree Dasgupta, Joydeep Basuroy, Tanvi Swami, Anandini Arora. Media & content team – Pierre De Greef, Shwetha Nair, Siddhartha Virkar, Bhavika Manchanda, Chandini Malla

Bobble AI: Ankit Prasad, Lovely Kukreja, Vikrant Awasthi, Kamal Matharoo, Anu Aswal, Mayur Agarwal

Creative Partner: Ogilvy India – Prakash Nair, Nitin Srivastava, Anuj Kala, Waebhav Yadav, Varun Shenoy, Tanya Khattar

Media and Content Partner: Wavemaker India – Ajay Gupte, Priyambada Choudhury, Aarti Bal, Abhishek Gupta, Navya Arora, Vaibhav Pankaj, Twameka Kumar, Sahejpreet Kohli, Priyanka Senapati

Social Media Partner: Blink Digital – Renee Mitra, Nicole Ferraz, Dia Kirpalani, Urvi Dalmia, Saadhak Malhotra, Yogesh Shirke, Anuj Rathod, Aishwarya Kadam