Boomer, the bubblegum brand from Mars Wrigley India, evokes nostalgia for ’90s kids. The jingle “Boom Boom Boomer” echoed across schools, and blowing the biggest bubbles was something to brag about.
Boomer surely enjoyed a cult following. And, maybe that’s why its new string of commercials are painful to watch. In order to promote their newly launched Boomer Lollipop, the brand roped in cricketer Jasprit Bumrah.
Considering the catchphrase used for Bumrah is “Boom Boom Bumrah”, it surely is a brilliant collaboration. The personality of the brand ties seamlessly with the celebrity’s name—Bumrah is often called Boom by his mates in the dressing room and on the field too.
But, unfortunately, Boomer failed to capitalise on it.
The commercial opens on a cricket field, with a young player getting bullied by a group. Enter Bumrah, in a white and pink outfit, with the Boomer lollipop and a disclaimer: “You have two options in this situation. Either run or eat a Boomer lollipop.”
As soon as the boy pops the lollipop into his mouth, he flips the script not by words but mere aggressive eye contact. Following this, the bullies apologise before running away. The message is that your swag speaks when you hold a Boomer lollipop.
Released last week and created by the DDB Mudra Group, the new commercial has clocked over five lakh views on YouTube.
Unfortunately, it appears to be Boomer’s weakest campaign yet. The script feels rushed, last-minute work without caring for creativity. Even Jasprit Bumrah’s star power couldn’t salvage it.
Notably, Boomer’s past collaborations with Bumrah—which were equally forgettable—managed to draw views in millions.
There is also an issue of target audience for Boomer. The 90s kids that Boomer once targeted are now adults.
Now, it’s the Gen Z and Gen Alpha which are ideally the brand’s target audience—and they’re nothing like millennials. A different communication strategy is required to draw their attention.
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Blowing up, fizzling out
In the late 1990s and the early 2000s, kids were obsessed with the concept of superheroes because of TV shows like Shaktimaan.
Boomer tapped into this insight and created its very own superhero mascot—the Boomer Man, who would save the day with his bubble-blowing prowess.
The campaigns were particularly popular among children, contributing to Boomer’s rise in India’s bubblegum segment in the 2000s.
In 2008, Wrigley’s launched the Boomer Bubble Blowing Championship, allowing children to star in commercials alongside Boomer Man, further strengthening brand value.
Reportedly, it was one of the largest on-air and on-ground campaigns of the time. It saw participation of about five lakh kids aged 8-12 years across 10 states.
After a significant gap, in 2020, Boomer tried riding the nostalgia wave by bringing back its iconic ‘Boom Boom Boomer’ jingle. But this time, without the mascot.
The ads leaned into humour—from a dead fish coming back to life to a bald grandpa magically getting a full head of hair as the Boomer bubble pops.
But, they couldn’t really highlight Boomer’s playful image.
Boomer then turned its focus to Gen Z in 2022, and brought Radhika Madan on board to launch its new blueberry flavour bubblegum.
The campaign was heavy on social media—there were filters, social media challenges, and so much more. But just like most Instagram trends, the campaign fizzled out faster than a bubble pops.
Though the brand changed its brand ambassador in 2023 to Bumrah, someone Gen Z could identify with, they couldn’t make the ads catchy enough.
Short 10-20 seconds ads are the industry norm. But brands also invest in at least one strong long-format commercial to build story and character.
Boomer, it seems, keeps trying to win attention with bubble-sized content. Fun needs room to breathe.
Brand: Boomer
Agency: DDB Mudra Group
Actor: Jasprit Bumrah
Views are personal.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)