Caltex approached Sarva at a time when Coolantwas not heavily used in Sri Lanka. Retail trade contained many cheap Chinese brands imported on an adhoc basis. Caltex coolant was also available in the market, but its sales growth was minimal.

Our agency research revealed that only a few people used coolant in their vehicles. Almost every person included in the market survey used water in their radiators and most of the radiators were filled with rust. Most drivers thought this was normal and hence did not see a need to put coolant in the radiator. What they didn’t know was that having only water in the radiator meantcorrosion started as soon as the radiator heated up.

With Caltex’s strength in retail channels, Sarvarecommended increasing the market by convincing people who used water in their radiators to buy coolant.

With limited budgets to execute the campaign, the communication was limited to press and radio. Hence a simple communication that couldcreate awareness about the negative effects of using water instead of coolant was necessary. Therefore a simple tactical communication message was developed – “100% water ruins the radiator 100%”.

This communication touched a chord amongst local consumers. With limited budgets Caltex was able to achieve a growth in sales beyond expectation. By the end of the first three months of the campaign, Caltex managed to achieve a 600% growth in the coolant category and continues to lead the market today.