Slice: Will Katrina's legacy pale the era of Kiara?

PepsiCo's mango beverage Slice has an inextricable connection with its former brand ambassador Katrina Kaif. The actress has contributed immensely to the beverage brand's equity, creating instant recall through some of its campaigns like "Aamsutra." So when the company decided to rope in Kiara Advani as the new representative of Slice, it was a tall order.

The ad starring Kiara was launched on March 4, 2023. Conceptualised and executed by Leo Burnett, it focuses on a flirty banter at a cafe between Kiara and a diner.
The ad retains a smidgen of the sensual undertones distinct of Katrina's Slice ads and much of it has been toned down. Instead, the new Slice ad is more playful and light-hearted than erotic. Needless to say, the comments on social media were less than appreciative.

Kiara's soaring popularity has made her the blue-eyed girl of many brands, yet it begs the question of whether she will be able to effectively take on the mantle from Katrina and build upon the legacy left behind by the actress.

The Kaif connection

Katrina started endorsing the brand from 2008 to 2022, with an association spanning almost 15 years with Slice. Given such a long association, it will be a tad difficult for audiences to accept a new face.

Campaigns such as "Aam Sutra" and "Slice Swayaamvar" have been built on the actress' smouldering sensuality. The classic, seduction style was a recurring motif. Even the song "Rasiya" crooned in a breathy, erotic fashion creates instant recall for the brand and the actress.

Anuj Goyal, associate director, Slice and Tropicana, PepsiCo India, acknowledges the legacy left behind by the actress: “Katrina had a long-standing association with the brand Slice and together we created some iconic campaigns, she is still a part of the Pepsico family."

However, choosing Kiara was not just out of whim for Slice. "When we were conceptualizing, one of the things that we wanted to do that we wanted to connect with the youth of the country and Kiara has huge youth following. I think she is a perfect fit as she has a great pull across geographies, she is not only relevant in tier 1 towns, but she is also relevant in tier 2 and 3 towns," Goyal adds.

Speaking about the concept, Goyal said, “In the past three years, we started our journey of 'How so thick?' and it translated into 'Sab se thick, sabse tasty' campaign then we launched the sequel of the campaign and then we launched the blind taste challenge. And the endeavour was to establish product superiority for Slice as the superior mango drink.”

“While conceptualizing the campaign, we came to understand that, we need to anchor the brand on a more indulgent world of mangoes. With Kiara, we wanted to speak to the youth of the country.”

The era of Kiara

Talking about the first take on the campaign, Samit Sinha, Managing Partner, Alchemist Brand Consulting, said that while the ad didn't seem memorable, it was quite on-brand for Slice. "I didn't find the ad particularly striking but having said that, they have kept on with their communication which is to put the brand around sensuality and make it almost erotic. To that extent, it was true to how they have been doing for many years," he notes.

As celebs, Kiara and Katrina are distinct and will bring their own personal influence to the brand. “I am not sure how much of the sensuousness is showing compared to what Katrina used to bring. I still remember how smouldering Katrina was. It felt natural maybe it was just her persona, but I didn't find the same with Kiara," Sinha adds.

Nisha Sampath, Brand Consultant, and Founder, Bright Angles Consulting, makes an important point about brands forming inextricable attachments to their endorsers.

"Katrina was unforgettable with those campaigns. But pragmatically, the brand cannot be attached to the endorser, they have to own the idea or the space," she points out
"To that extent, whether Kiara is more popular or not should be their concern. But the brand idea stays very strong," she emphasises.

While Sinha finds the execution mediocre, Sampath begs to differ:"Slice has really stood out with their campaigns. Food is about enjoyment. The romance of food is very real, Where other brands talk about nutrition and other aspects, they have stayed with their storyline of sensuality and the physical enjoyment of the beverage. At a very gut level, it appeals to you and it connects with you in a conscious and unconscious way”, she added.