Diamond Supreme Foam VS Master Molty, a war never fought

BY ALI NAQVI –

We all love our parents, that’s pretty obvious. Everyone has his/her personal way of expressing love for parents by calling them Mama, Baba, Abba, Ammi, Papa, Daddy, Abba Jaan or simply Papa Jaani. There is nothing in the world that could stop us from calling whatever we like. But the point is, how can a brand, Master Molty Foam, claim intellectual property on an expression of love that belong to us all. Diamond Supreme foam played the creative card and Master Molty foam could have done the same.

Diamond Supreme Foam campaign came out almost a month ago featuring Mehwish Hayat and Ali Zafar. The ad used the ‘key phrase’ Papa Jaani to hit directly at the competitor. The storyline too attacked Master Molty Foam in a not so subtle way.

Diamond Supreme Foam has not just taken its competitor head on there are other things the brand has talked about. Online shopping is one, customer service is another. The shopping trends are changing worldwide. Online shopping and digital marketing is no more the next big thing, it is the big thing right now. The entire ad is based on the concept of buying online with complete trust on the quality of the product and the brand itself.

But here the point of discussion is neither the quality of the brand nor the changing trends in marketing. The issue here is that Master Molty Foam claimed the intellectual rights and won the defamation case in Intellectual Property Tribunal. Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority has issued directions to all satellite TVs and other media platforms to follow the decision of Intellectual Property Tribunal that restricts the use of registered trademark Papa Jaani.

Brand war is a sign of healthy competition. But unfortunately Master Molty Foam shied away from the battle field. There are countless examples of brand wars within and outside the country where brands reply in the most creative manner imaginable. Mercedes Benz VS Jaguar is the best example to quote. Both brands fought each other but only in the arena of creative advertising.

One must respect the decision of the tribunal on the grounds that it must have been in accordance with the rules and regulations but that does not stop us from criticizing those particular rules or laws. In our country we talk more about the implementation of the laws without realizing that most of them are outdated or irrelevant while some of them are utterly ridiculous. That’s why lawmaking is extremely important which our governments have always taken for granted. If you want to have the clear picture of what I am talking about give The Penal Code of Pakistan a reading.

Master Molty Foam has succeeded in banning the campaign of Diamond Supreme Foam but it has highlighted the brand all the more in the mind of the consumer as well as the advertising world. Everyone is talking about Diamond Foam and nobody is interested in the idea of ‘Papa Jaani’ campaign developed almost 2 decades ago.