Opinion The Express View on Campa Cola relaunch: It was a time, not a taste

In a forgotten corner of YouTube, there is a video of the good life from the early Eighties. A young Salman Khan — his first on-camera appearance — is on a large boat (or, perhaps, a small yacht) with other good looking people. They laugh and swim, sing and dance — all while sipping Campa Cola. There is, of course, an irony to the advertisement. Campa Cola’s success was a product of the Indian economy closing down and the exit of Coke and Pepsi — it had a captive market. The consumerist joy on display in the ad would be a long time coming. But scarcity had its own virtues. Now, Reliance is set to bring back Campa, “contemporised for a new-age India”. But, does nostalgia also need to be new-age?

The 1980s — up to the early Nineties, really — were an analogue time. There were fewer brands and choices and in general, for most, less money. In retrospect, though, that simplicity has acquired the sepia-tinted halo of nostalgia. Few who were young then can recall the taste of Campa Cola — just that it was associated with economic nationalism, and, often, their youth. It is that association, an instant brand recall of a sort, that lends Campa its value.

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But things won’t be the same. The iconic glass bottle will likely be replaced by colourful cans and plastic bottles. Unlike in its first run, Campa isn’t the only Cola around. Maybe all that won’t matter. In their early middle age now, those who grew up with the brand may still buy it — perhaps as a novelty beverage at school reunions. Maybe it will be a runaway hit. Sometimes, it’s nice to hope that while the past is another country, a carbonated beverage might provide a short-term visa to it.