Boroline
 | |
| Product type | Antiseptic |
|---|---|
| Owner | G.D. Pharmaceuticals Private Limited, Kolkata |
| Country | India |
| Introduced | 1929 |
| Ambassador(s) | Raima Sen, Sakshi Tanwar, Vidya Balan[1] |
| Website | www |
Boroline is an over the counter ayurvedic antiseptic cream sold in India.[2]
History
The history of Boroline traces back to the 1920s in India, during the height of the Swadeshi movement advocating for self-sufficiency and reduced reliance on British imports. Gour Mohan Dutta, a Bengali merchant who dealt in imported cosmetics, embraced the Swadeshi movement to create locally-made alternatives with the assistance of his wife.[3] One of his concoctions, an antiseptic cream made from a blend of boric acid and oil, garnered significant attention and quickly sold out in the Burrabazar markets where he sold his products. Recognizing the potential of his formulation, Dutta officially founded G. D. Pharmaceuticals in 1929 and christened his product "Boroline." The name itself is derived from "boro" meaning boric acid and "oline" from the Latin "oleum" meaning oil.[4] Marketed in distinctive green tubes adorned with an elephant logo, symbolizing strength and prosperity, and inspired by the Hindu deity Ganesha, Boroline swiftly gained popularity among Indian consumers, becoming a staple in households across Bengal.[3]
Marketing
Early on, Dutta positioned Boroline as a product that was integral to Bengali culture. He only ran ads for the product in the Bengali language and targeted major Bengali events like Durga Puja.[5] As a result, the product developed the nationalistic sentiments prevalent during that time period. During the early 1900's it was considered a matter of pride to be using the locally made Boroline over other similar imported foreign creams.[3] In 1947, during the Independence day celebrations, the company G. D. Pharmaceuticals ran an ad in national newspapers that distributed coupons in exchange for which the company gave out free tubes of Boroline. Over 100,000 tubes of the antiseptic cream were reported to have been distributed as part of the promotion.[4]
After India's independence, the product experienced significant competition from homegrown counterfeits and knockoff products. Indian multinational conglomerate Emami released a product called BoroPlus that was endorsed by the actor Amitabh Bachan and his wife Jaya Bachan (then known as Jaya Bhaduri). In response, G. D. Pharmaceuticals invested heavily in advertising. During the same time company also aggressively altered their branding to keep up with the times. A focus was made on establishing Boroline as "The Original" antiseptic cream in India. An ad agency was contracted to write a jingle for the advertisment of Boroline across both West Bengal and India. The resulting jingle, designed by a young Rituparno Ghosh, was the infamous "Banglir jiboner ongo", which implied that the cream was an integral part of Bengali life. The jingle is still used by the company as of 2024.[5]
During this time, the company was run by the founder's son Murari Mohan Dutta. Dutta poineered the idea of sponsoring sporting events and festivals in India.[6][5] In 1982, Boroline became one of the first sponsors for the Jawaharlal Nehru International Football Gold Cup (which went on to become the Nehru Cup), one of the first events to be broadcast in color televisions across India.[7] The company became a permanent fixture in sporting events and festivals, cheering on players and organizing campaigns on the streets during festivals.[5] As a result of these marketing efforts, Boroline's sales doubled and the brand gained a significant amount of recognition and brand loyalty. Even amongst rural areas, where most people were unable to read the advertisments, the cream was known as a haatiwala cream (the cream with the picture of the elephant) due the company's iconic packaging and logo.[8]
Product
Boroline is a combination of the antiseptic boric acid, the astringent and sunscreen zinc oxide, and the emollient lanolin. It is meant to be used for cuts, cracked lips, rough skin, and to treat infections.[9]
References
- ^ "Fashion". Telegraphindia.com. 17 March 2016. Archived from the original on 31 March 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
- ^ "GD Pharmaceuticals Private Limited : Boroline". boroline.com. Archived from the original on 13 December 2007.
- ^ a b c Sriram, Malathy (3 November 2017). "Boroline: Soothing skin since 1929". BLoC. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ a b "Boroline Story: স্বদেশী আন্দোলন থেকে বঙ্গ জীবনের অঙ্গ হয়ে ওঠা! বোরোলিনের অজানা কাহিনি জেনে নিন." Eisamay (in Bengali). Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Boroline, the Bengali Miracle Cream". The Juggernaut. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ "Boroline" (PDF). Superbrands India. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ Kapadia, Novy. "Nehru Cup aims to build brand Team India". The Asian Age. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ "The Boroline Saga: From a Symbol of the Swadeshi Movement to a Bengali Household Staple". The Wire. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ "11 amazing uses of Boroline cream for your skin - Health & Healthier". 22 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.