2
Cities Activated
BACKGROUND
In the wall-care category, product claims often sound similar.
- Smoother finish.
- Better brightness.
- Superior whiteness.
Consumers hear these claims every day, but rarely experience them firsthand. Birla White Excel Putty had a powerful product truth:
Its superior whiteness and finish quality could create a surface so refined that it resembled premium marble. The challenge was simple: How do you make consumers believe something that sounds impossible?
THE CHALLENGE
Traditional advertising could tell people that Birla White Excel Putty delivers exceptional finish quality. But telling isn't believing.
The challenge was:
- How do you demonstrate product superiority in a way that consumers can experience for themselves?
And more importantly:
- Can we prove that a wall coated with Birla White Excel Putty could be mistaken for real marble?
THE INSIGHT
People trust their eyes more than
advertisements.
Surprise.Disbelief.Curiosity.Discovery.
If consumers genuinely believed they were looking at marble, the product claim would instantly become credible. Rather than creating another product film, we decided to turn the product into an experiment.
THE STRATEGIC IDEA
The Marble Experiment
We created a public challenge that invited people to identify different varieties of marble. Except there was one catch. There was no marble. The display was actually made using ordinary plywood coated with three layers of Birla White Excel Putty. The experiment would reveal whether consumers could tell the difference.
A challenge with
No Marble
A finish mistaken for
Premium Marble
A putty that proved
Itself
THE EXECUTION
1
Installation
The Setup
On a Saturday morning, identical installations were created inside high-footfall malls in:
- Gurugram
- Bengaluru
The displays were positioned behind glass facades and presented as premium marble exhibits.
2
Participation
The Challenge
Visitors were invited to participate in a simple challenge: Guess the type of marble on display. To encourage participation, Birla White offered a cash prize of ₹25,000 to one lucky winner.
3
Observation
The Engagement
Throughout the weekend, hundreds of shoppers stopped, observed, debated, and submitted their guesses. Many believed they were looking at expensive marble varieties. By Sunday evening, both installations were covered with handwritten responses.
4
The Climax
The Reveal
The moment of truth had arrived. Representatives revealed the answer. The display wasn't marble. It was ordinary plywood coated with three coats of Birla White Excel Putty.
The reaction was immediate.
Surprise.
Disbelief.
Curiosity.
The experiment had successfully turned product performance into public proof.
THE FILM
The activation was captured and transformed into a digital film documenting the entire experiment.
Bengali
Tamil
Kannada
English
Telugu
The film follows the journey from installation setup to participant engagement and finally the reveal.
The story wasn't about advertising. It was about discovery.
IMPACT
- Product Demonstration Became Product Proof: Instead of claiming superior finish quality, Birla White allowed consumers to experience it themselves.
- Transformed a Technical Benefit into a Human Experience: The activation translated abstract product features into something immediately understandable. If people could mistake it for marble, they instantly understood the quality.
- Created Curiosity and Participation: The challenge format encouraged active involvement rather than passive viewing. Consumers became participants in the story.
- Made an Invisible Category Visible: Wall putty is rarely discussed outside construction conversations. The experiment successfully brought the category into mainstream consumer attention.
- Elevated Brand Perception: By confidently putting the product to a public test, Birla White reinforced its leadership position and demonstrated belief in its own product superiority.
RESULTS & PERFORMANCE
2
Mall Installations
₹25k
Prize Value
▣
Reach
Film Views & Campaign Reach
◎
Engagement
Contest Entries & Social Engagements
♡
Brand Impact
Increase in Product Awareness, Brand Recall & Purchase Consideration
✓
Proof Delivered
The experiment had successfully turned product performance into public proof.
(To be updated with final reporting)
CONCLUSION
Most brands tell consumers their products are superior.
Birla White decided to test that claim in public.
By transforming a product demonstration into a live experiment, the brand created a powerful proof point: When hundreds of people mistake putty for marble, no further explanation is needed. Because sometimes the best advertising isn't a claim. It's a demonstration.
BIRLA WHITE Excel Putty
The Marble Experiment