On Sunday, India Today journalist Shiv Aroor took to Twitter to share an image of Wai Wai instant noodles. In his tweet, Shiv Aroor said that he recently noticed Wai Wai’s subtle new packaging.
Even though the India Today journalist did not explain what exact “subtlety” was there in the new packaging, however, social media users, who noticed his tweet, understood what he was trying to convey.
Just noticed Wai-Wai’s subtle new packaging. pic.twitter.com/JEe6lj7GuV
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) July 11, 2021
The issue was simple. Wai Wai, a Nepal-based instant noodles brand produced from CG Foods, had changed its earlier ‘green and yellow’ packaging to a new ‘yellow’ packaging of its noodles. For any ordinary individual, the colour change of Wai Wai noodles packaging is not a pressing issue. However, for some of its consumers, it was a grave error committed by manufacturers of Wai Wai.
Probably as part of its latest marketing trick, the CG Group has changed the packaging colour of its brand to exactly look like its rival brand Maggi, the market leader in the instant noodles category manufactured by Swish-Food processing giant Nestlé.
As netizens noticed the new packaging of Wai Wai noodles, they were perplexed to see the striking similarities between the two products and wondered whether the Nepalese-brand was trying to make their product exactly look like Maggi. Social media users raised several questions on whether Wai Wai’s new marketing strategy to make their product look exactly like Nestle Maggi is an act of copyright infringement.
Outright copying😳😒 Why did waiwai have to do this?@ambimgp https://t.co/EZVtBQDM62
— Roshee Lamichhane(रोशी) (@RosheeLC) July 11, 2021
Intellectual Property Rights attorney Navroop Singh also pointed out how the new packaging of Wai Wai noodles was a copy of Nestle Maggi. He said it is a clear case of violation of the copyright, as Wai Wai is being attempted to pass off as Maggi.
Case for Infringement of Copyright, Trade Dress & Passing Off.. @NestleIndia https://t.co/U5H3DLO1ID
— Navroop Singh (@NavroopSingh_) July 11, 2021
According to a few Maggi lovers, Wai Wai changed its packaging to yellow to confuse its buyers to pick Wai Wai instead of Nestle Maggi. The similar packaging of the two brands would make the buyers unintentionally pick up Wai Wai instead of Maggi, said a frequent Maggi user.
However, netizens who swear by Wai Wai noodles had a completely different point of view to share.
One user said that there was no need for the brand to do this as it has a separate fan base for itself. He also said that people search for it specifically on the supermarket racks.
They don’t need this actually. WaiWai has its own fan base. And they search for it on the supermarket racks.
— NeoTolstoy (@tolstoy_neo) July 11, 2021
Similarly, another Wai Wai consumer said that the old packaging of Wai Wai was good enough and made it stand out. He also said that he has to look carefully now at the stores so that he does not pick up Maggi instead of Wai Wai.
They didn’t have to do this. The old packaging was good enough and made it stand out.
— Sanskaari Baalak (@SanskariBaalak) July 11, 2021
Now I would have to look carefully so that I don’t pick up Maggi while going for Wai Wai.
The change in packaging of a noodles brand has evoked a negative response on Twitter so far, with both consumers of the Wai Wai and other rival brands are complaining about the unnecessary change. At present, it is known how Nestlé is reacting to this packaging design change by its rival brand.
