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Come join the
Club
Buying becomes a passport to
clubs offering discounts, invitations to exclusive events and the chance
to rub shoulders with celebrities
By Natasha Israni
He's
28. He's the head of a stockbroking agency in Mumbai. Enviable income,
cool cell phone, and an appetite for the good things in life. Like cars.
When Mehrab Nargolwala bought himself an Opel Astra, he got a double
bonanza -- there was the vehicle, and there was a club membership. The
Opel Astra Club for Opel owners in the country comes with invitations to
carnivals, movie premieres and fashion shows. And discounts at merchant
establishments, hotels and entertainment centres. "It's great,"
he gushes. "I enjoy being a part of this club."
This is not the usual club. It's a UPCO. An Upper Class Product-Oriented
Club. Want to have dinner with Daler Mehndi? See the first rushes of The
Insider? Sip and sup with a happening pop band? Mingle with models at
designer shows? If you're not acquiring an expensive car, you could get
there by picking up a pack of Taj Mahal Tea, buying a bottle of Bacardi
Reserva or downing a peg of Johnnie Walker Black Label. Buying certain
products these days has become a passport to clubs that translate into
freebies, discounts and invites that enable you to rub shoulders with
people you've only seen in glossies.
Take the Taj Shaukeen Club, launched last month, and meant for all Taj
Mahal Tea patrons. It's the first such club in the fast-moving consumer
goods category. And what do you think you get for picking up a packet of
tea? Not just tea. Incentives to buy again include discounts at premium
retail outlets and tickets for concerts and plays.
If tea can have it's own club, what about liquor? There's the Bacardi
Reserva First Cut Club. In a bid to promote their new brand, Bacardi-Martini
India Ltd (BMIL) now holds monthly previews of movies yet to be released
in India. They did the Billy Bob Thornton-Cate Blanchett starrer Pushing
Tin last month and there are more coming. "We're targeting a more
discerning, mature consumer who's 30-plus, loves to watch movies, go on
weekend breaks and enjoys great food," says Mahesh Madhavan, BMIL's
gm, marketing.
It's becoming a tipplers' paradise out there. Last week, Johnnie Walker
Club members in Delhi drowned themselves in -- not what you're thinking --
music. The "Magic of the Musical" programme had singers Sharon
Prabhakar, Gary Lawyer and Nandu Bhende among others performing some of
the best from Broadway hits such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, Evita
and My Fair Lady. Club members have so far been to whisky-tasting
sessions, classical music soirees, instrumental performances by
top-of-the-line talents -- flautist Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Shiv Kumar
Sharma on the santoor -- supper theatre and film previews.
They aren't the only privileged ones. The now six-month-old Opel
Carnival boasts of exclusive dos usually with a known singer. Performers
so far have included Daler Mehndi, Remo Fernandes and Gurdas Mann. And the
carnival has been taken to Delhi, Chennai, Jaipur, Ludhiana, Ahmedabad,
Mumbai, Calcutta, Goa and Hyderabad. The launch of the Opel Astra 2000 in
Mumbai in January was accompanied by a big bash, attended by 3,000 people
at the Turf Club. There was much more to it than the food and games. Daler
Mehndi landed up for the show. Actually, he drove on to a stage in a car,
sang, even interacted with the people, much to the delight of his fans.
There are clubs for consumers of liquor, cars, tea and T-shirts, but
books, food and fashion are not far behind either. For good food lovers
there's The Gourmet Club of The Oberoi. Bela Rajan, director of a pr
agency in the city, is thrilled with her membership: "It's very
useful while taking people out, especially high-profile persons like CEOs
and senior journalists."
For fashion and style you have the Fashion Bistro Club (FBC) in Mumbai.
Anybody who wants to can be a member. FBC organises special events like
celeb bartending twice a week, and even sessions when lifestyle and
fashion-related tips are given by gurus such as Mickey Mehta and Hemant
Trevedi. Recently, the members got to be there at a Lascelles Symons show
of clothes with the "Boho" -- short for Bohemian -- look. It was
not like most regular shows; no squinting at a ramp from a distance.
Hotshot models Helen Brodie, Diandra Soares and John Abraham were within
touching distance. Not quite the Gymkhana. But maybe it's more fun.
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