Throwback Thursday: When Glucon-D's Sun with a straw became symbolic of Indian summers

India is in the midst of an inclement heatwave, reportedly impacting 90% of India. Stepping out in the sun even for a few minutes can leave you sick and exhausted. It’s almost like the sun has a gigantic straw, drawing every bit of your life force from the top of your head. Sounds familiar? Glucon D’s ad campaign from over a decade ago comes to mind as we grapple with rising mercury levels. The imagery of the sun doggedly sucking the energy out of kids’ heads is so impactful that we are reminded every year during the height of summer. In today’s throwback, let’s revisit this iconic ad.

Glucon D, a glucose-based energy drink, is an Indian brand, which is marketed heavily during the harsh Indian summers, claiming to not only quench thirst but also counter the draining effects of the sun by replenishing the body with lost glucose. The campaigns are centred on kids and are timed around summer vacations when children step out to play in the sun.

The first ad of the Sun series appeared circa 2009, starring actor Jay Thakkar, a child actor back then. It shows kids playing a game of cricket in the sweltering summer heat as an animated sun furiously bears down on them. The ad jingle “Garmiyon main bhaiyya dhoop gurraye; body glucose choose, use maza aaye” plays with gulping sounds in the background. The sun then sticks straws on the heads of kids and gulps away at their energy. As the kids drop to the ground, one goes back home, asking for water. His mom offers him a glass of refreshing Glucon D instead, saying water doesn’t replenish the lost glucose in the body.

The ad was conceptualised by McCann Erickson and was produced by the Mumbai-based production house Opticus Inc.

Such was the impact of the ad that the sun motif became a recurring factor in the subsequent ads of the brand even as it changed hands from Glaxo India to Heinz to Zydus Wellness.

The last of the sun ads appeared two years ago, with the brand slightly changing its negative tone towards the sun. The ad argued that the sun may not be such a big bad guy as it is made out to be since its a source of vitamin D. The brand urged people to step out in the sunlight and to sip on Glucon D to replenish any glucose and water loss.

Last year, during the height of summer, the ad went viral again as some Twitter users were convinced that’s how the sun really worked. The ad finds its way into conversations about the rising temperatures every year with people using the ad as a reference for how it feels to step out in the sun. The high recall value of the film can be attributed to the impactful imagery conceived by the creative team.

These Glucon D ads with the sun as the straw-happy antagonist is one of the most enduring summer campaigns of recent times, creating instant recall years after the original ad was released. Despite the harsh portrayal of summer and negative imagery, the brand has succeeded in creating a truly memorable ad campaign.

The brand partnered with actor Pankaj Tripathi in 2021 to release new TVCs that didn't feature the villainous sun.