Ghadi: A Masterclass in Redesigning Iconic Brands

In the fiercely competitive Indian detergent market, Ghadi has cemented its position as an iconic brand with its memorable tagline "Pehle istemal kare, phir vishwas kare" (First try it, then believe it). The brand has maintained a strong presence across generations, with its jingle becoming a household tune. In fact, there is a 99% chance you hummed the tagline as you read it. However, as the brand nods to the past, it also wants to move relentlessly forward.

When Ghadi approached NH1, the agency behind the rebrand, it wanted to expand its reach to new geographies and increase penetration in existing ones. According to NH1, “To achieve this, the brand needed to create an identity that resonated with its multilingual target audience and fostered strong connections through regional languages.”

This case study delves into a dilemma that every legacy brand faces today, to be evolutionary or revolutionary. Let's go deeper into what goes behind redesigning an iconic brand.

It is not uncommon for legacy companies to revisit their brand strategy. Only in 2023, brands like Pepsi, Nokia and more have revisited their brand strategy. It can be due to a shift in their vision, or to reinforce their hold on their audience and build new connections. For Ghadi it’s the latter.

The creative mastermind behind this transformation, Neha Tulsian, founder and creative director of NH1 Designs, explains that the brand sought to create a more cohesive identity and packaging across its product portfolio. Tulsian notes, "Ghadi refreshed its identity and packaging to connect with audiences in regional markets. It unified its product packaging." Upon closer inspection of their product range, it was apparent that there was a lack of consistency in terms of typography and packaging design for various products, which the rebranding aimed to address.

The latest Ghadi logo has undergone a strategic design process to uphold the brand's heritage while conveying a contemporary feel. The clock element has been thoughtfully streamlined, using the minute and hour hand's kinetic motion to depict the cleaning action. The numerical representation has been replaced with sparkles, resulting in a clever metaphor for Ghadi's superior cleaning performance.

The logotype has been meticulously crafted to visually complement the clock mnemonic, employing a bespoke sans serif typeface that is legible even on smaller packaging. The typography's overall construction boasts impeccable spacing, alignment, and kerning to ensure maximum readability.

For a brand so entrenched in diverse neighbourhoods in India, NH1 says, “We understood the importance of creating a multilingual identity for Ghadi to form strong connections with its target audience,” In the rebranding exercise, they placed a particular emphasis on developing a visually appealing and versatile Ghadi logotype that would complement the clock mnemonic. To achieve this, they crafted a custom sans-serif logotype that improved legibility on smaller pack sizes and ensured consistency across all branding materials.

In collaboration with White Crow Design, NH1 created multilingual adaptations of Ghadi’s identity. In a way that could be easily translated into various Indian scripts. The new design now includes 12 Indian languages, allowing Ghadi to communicate effectively with its consumers and resonate with their regional and linguistic preferences. The updated Ghadi logotype not only maintains legibility across different sizes but also adds consistency which was lacking in the older designs.

One of the critical insights was that the white colour pack had significant visual equity with consumers, and the red and yellow colours were legacy colours closely associated with the brand. This led to a crucial discussion about which visual cues or information to retain from the old design and which ones to change or reinvent. So the new design stays true to the brand's signature colour palette of red and yellow colours.

The designers have delved into the psyche of Ghadi’s consumers when creating a new visual architecture for Ghadi. Ghadi's new packaging design captures the traditional bucket-washing process, where clothes are hand-squeezed and twisted to remove every bit of dirt and stain. Featuring a bold graphic that incorporates rays of brightness and a twisting motion to represent the brand's powerful cleaning formula.

While the front of the pack serves as the primary focus, the back of the pack also presents an opportunity for effective communication. Thus, for Ghadi's packaging redesign, the back of the pack received the same treatment with the twisting pattern along with the English version of the logo. This ensured that the brand always faced the consumer, no matter how the product was placed on a shelf. This creative approach to packaging design transforms what could have been ordinary into something appealing and functional at the same time.

The new Ghadi reflects a ‘made for every Indian’ approach. It is a true commitment to inclusivity and cultural sensitivity, enabling the brand to connect with a wider range of consumers and strengthen its position in the Indian detergent market.