ATL, BTL

The terms ‘Above the line (ATL)’ and ‘Below the line (BTL)’ came into being when way back in 1954 when Proctor and Gamble started using various payment rates to its advertising agency based on what its target audience reach was.

‘Above The Line’ (ATL) advertising is an advertising where mass media is used to promote brands to reach out to the target consumers which includes radio and television advertising, conventional media as we knows it, internet as well as print. Here, the communication is targeted to a thick spread of audience, and is not specific to individual consumers. ATL advertising attempts to reach out to the mass as consumer audience. In 2012, Parachute decided to own the most significant positioning platform “World’s Best Hair.” The campaign featured the celebrity endorser Deepika Padukone which was on air in most of the channels. The campaign involved  digital in a big way and was based on a research finding that consumers of Parachute Advansed Hair Oil had better hair than the non-users. It was not just the research but the positioning platform which was totally strong and influential. By taking the ownership of “World’s Best Hair” and backing it up with a research, Parachute Advansed moved a step up in terms of positioning. The brand put itself into a strong position and compelled the competitors to do something powerful to compete with it. As for the consumers are concerned, the campaign not only bolstered their choice of using Parachute hair oil for hair protection but also induced non-users to try out the product.

‘Below the line’ (BTL) advertising is mostly about one-to-one communication and involves the allocation of pamphlets, stickers, brochures, promotions, handbills placed at point of sale, on the roads through placards and banners. Product samplings and demos at places like market places or malls or residential complexes are also a part of it. For example, moving hoardings or road shows with the advertisement of the product, and vehicles with promotional staff interacting with people substantiating the product and distributing literature on the product. Less conventional methods are used of advertising being very distinct channels of advertising unlike ATL. It also contains telemarketing PR, sales promotions targeted at particular potential customer and direct mail promotional campaigns.Since internet penetration is low, Parachute got tied up with magazines, attached bottle of Parachute Advansed Coconut Oil and a pre-addressed envelope sent with every copy with message, ‘try this and if you like it, recommend it to a friend by posting back envelope to us.’ Friend would later receive a letter, an oil bottle and two envelopes.

However, digital media in today’s world has more or less broken the limits of ATL versus BTL. Digital communication has the potential to address both at the same time. Interestingly, there is a new phrase called Through the Line, or TTL, which assimilates activities of both ATL and BTL. The concept of line is sinking gradually with agencies increasingly using the Integrated Communication approach. And to recapitulate all this, O&M’s Piyush Pandey can be quoted who rightly exclaims that “It is not a question of mass media versus below the line or above-the-line anymore. It is an era of mass media plus the line.”