In India, tea is not just a category. It is culture, comfort, and continuity. But culture alone does not guarantee growth. In today’s digital-first marketplace, legacy brands must evolve. They must expand without losing emotional familiarity. That is where structured brand thinking becomes critical.
When Zero Gravity Communications partnered with Jivraj9 Tea, the mandate went beyond launching a campaign. The brief was strategic and layered.
First, consolidate and strengthen Jivraj9’s dominance in Gujarat — its home turf and emotional stronghold. Second, unlock high-potential state markets with a sharper, more contemporary articulation of the brand.
This was not a routine celebrity endorsement exercise. It was a calibrated expansion strategy designed to balance regional leadership with multi-state ambition.
Client & Vision
Jivraj9 Tea is a Gujarat-rooted tea brand built on taste consistency and trust. Over the years, it has created a strong household recall in its home market. Its portfolio spans traditional CTC blends and evolving wellness categories.
The brand has always positioned itself around strength and balance. Jivraj9 envisioned a high-impact, multi-market expansion along with strong modern commerce platforms like ecommerce, quick commerce, etc.. The ambition was both consolidative and aggressive. First, deepen digital recall within Gujarat. Second, unlock untapped high-potential markets beyond it.
For Jivraj9, the challenge was not just geographical growth, it was perceptual evolution. The brand needed sharper articulation to resonate with new audiences. It had to feel contemporary to modern consumers, while preserving the authenticity that built its legacy.
The strategic ambition was clear: to present Jivraj9 as a reflection of modern India — confident in its progress, yet firmly rooted in its values.
This clarity became the foundation of the campaign architecture.
Creative Challenge
The execution challenge was not just intense, it was layered.
Five different ad films had to be conceptualised, staged, and shot within a single day. Each film carried a distinct storyline, a separate emotional tonality, and a clearly defined messaging focus. This meant the production could not rely on repetition or minor variations. Every narrative required its own world.
Multiple sets were constructed. Costume transitions were timed with precision. Lighting environments had to shift dramatically between frames. Most importantly, the ambassador had to recalibrate performance energy repeatedly, moving from strength led conviction to wellness driven calm within hours.
What appeared seamless on screen demanded meticulous orchestration behind the scenes. Operational precision was not optional. It became the backbone of creative success.
Watch The Campaign Film Here:
Kadak Par, Kadwi Nahi | Jivraj9 C.T.C. Leaf Tea | Neena Gupta x Jivraj9 | Jivraj9
Execution
With the strategic groundwork firmly defined, execution moved with clarity.
Despite the complexity, production wrapped within a single day — a reflection of disciplined planning rather than hurried execution. Five differentiated campaigns were successfully filmed, each retaining its individual identity while staying aligned with the larger brand narrative.
The rollout began with CTC Leaf Tea, anchored by the positioning line: “Kadak Hai Par Kadwi Nahi.” Strong, yet not bitter. Powerful, yet balanced. The messaging did not merely describe the product. It mirrored the brand’s personality and extended into consumer identity — appealing to traditional tea drinkers who value strength without harshness.
The second release introduced Green Tea with “Just Detox, No Drama.” Clean. Direct. Contemporary. Instead of exaggerated wellness claims, the communication embraced simplicity and honesty. This tonal shift was intentional. It allowed the brand to speak authentically to urban, wellness-conscious consumers without sounding performative.
Rather than presenting disconnected advertisements, the campaigns progressed like chapters within a larger brand story. Each film addressed a specific consumer segment, yet together they reinforced a unified identity — modern in outlook, rooted in character.
Impact
Within one week, the campaign gained industry attention.
- It featured in Ads in Focus by Impact Magazine.
- It received coverage from MXM India.
- Recognition extended to Campaign India.
- It was also highlighted by MediaNews4U.
Early validation confirmed strong strategic resonance.
Why This Campaign Stands Out
This campaign is not powerful because it features a celebrity. It is powerful because it uses celebrity strategically. Most brands use ambassadors for visibility spikes, Jivraj9 used one for structural recall.
Neena Gupta is not just a familiar face. She represents generational credibility. In India, tea is consumed across age brackets. Teenagers may experiment. Young professionals may explore wellness. Families remain loyal to strength-led blends. Neena Gupta sits comfortably across all these segments. She carries urban sophistication. Yet she feels rooted and culturally grounded. She is bold without being polarising. Relatable without being ordinary. That alignment is strategic.
When one ambassador anchors multiple tonal campaigns, memory consolidation becomes stronger. Consumers may recall different taglines. But the face becomes the recall shortcut. This reduces fragmentation risk during multi-market expansion. The decision also signals confidence.
Jivraj9 did not chase youth for the sake of trend. It chose credibility over hype. That is a maturity marker. The second layer of intelligence lies in campaign architecture. Instead of stretching one message across markets, the brand built parallel narratives.
CTC speaks strength. Green Tea speaks simplicity. Future campaigns may unlock new lifestyle cues. Yet all narratives orbit one identity framework. Strong yet balanced. Modern yet rooted.
Zero Gravity Communications translated this clarity into execution discipline — not by focusing on speed, but by adapting to how platforms and content formats have evolved. Today, brand storytelling is no longer linear. Different platforms demand different lengths, energies, and narrative cuts. The campaign was therefore structured to create multiple format-ready assets — each designed for specific platform behaviors while preserving one cohesive identity system. This is not about production velocity. It is about format intelligence.
For regional FMCG brands aspiring for national scale, the takeaway is clear: growth today requires platform-aware storytelling, modular content architecture, and structural consistency. Expansion is not about louder visibility; it is about sharper alignment — building brand systems that adapt to new media environments without losing core identity.
Key Learnings for Brands and Marketers
1. Expansion Requires Positioning Clarity: Before entering new markets, define your identity sharply. Geographical growth amplifies brand strengths and weaknesses.
2. Build Ecosystems, Not Isolated Campaigns: Multiple narratives can coexist under one master brand. Consistency in tone and philosophy builds long-term recall.
3. Operational Discipline Drives Creative Success: Ambitious storytelling demands structured execution systems. Scale without process leads to fragmentation.
4. Celebrity Alignment Must Reflect Brand Philosophy: Ambassadors should mirror positioning, not just popularity. Relevance builds credibility across demographics.
5. Think Multi-Market from Day One: Regional brands aspiring national presence need layered communication. Single-story campaigns rarely drive sustained expansion.
Conclusion
This campaign was not about visibility alone. It was about velocity with structure. Zero Gravity Communications translated ambition into architecture. Jivraj9 Tea translated legacy into scalable aspiration. For Indian FMCG brands aiming beyond regional dominance, the message is clear.
Growth is not accidental. It is designed with clarity, cohesion, and execution discipline.
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