Blogadda recently announced the #WhatTheBlack campaign.

As a part of the campaign, few shortlisted bloggers were to receive interesting clues (one clue everyday for three days) to help them guess the mystery behind #WhatTheBlack and on the fourth day the real product around which the suspense has been spun would be revealed.

Needless to say, I was excited, intrigued and curious enough to apply for the activity. I was shortlisted and thus began my journey of waiting for the 30th of July to arrive when the first clue was to arrive at my doorstep.

While I waited with bated breath checking whether the doorbell was working fine, ensuring there wasn’t anyone knocking at the main door umpteen times, my family pronounced me half-mad by 2pm.

It’s rightly said, ‘The watched pot boils last’ and that’s exactly what happened. Pictures of the first clue and tweets about it, started flooding my Twitter timeline, but my parcel was nowhere within my reach. Due to an error somewhere, two days since the campaign began I am yet to receive any clues.

In the past two days, besides crazily waiting for the clues to arrive I have been brainstorming with my family on what could be the real product around which #WhatTheBlack mystery has been spun.

Since my family has had enough head banging with me, I decided to target my dear blog readers next.

Let’s get cracking the mystery before it unfolds exactly a day from now.

Clues revealed thus far:

Clue #1 : A black egg filled with chocolate.

Clue #2: A black newspaper filled with news about things turning black, black things being discovered in every walk of life. The black egg forms the headlines.

Clue #3: Yet to be revealed tomorrow (on 1st of August 2014)

What I think is going on at #WhatTheBlack?

Initial thoughts:

Since a large number of bloggers were shortlisted for the campaign, my initial thoughts of it revolving around a black mobile phone went for a toss on logical grounds. It is definitely to involve a product that can be used by a wide variety of masses of different age groups given the group of people selected.

Since it can’t be a gadget, I had shortlisted : Dark chocolate, Shampoo, Deodorant, Kitchenware, Hair Oil , Face cream and Shoe Polish as the possible black products, due for a launch.

After Clue #1:

When I saw pictures of the first clue, that was a black egg filled with chocolate (very similar to the Easter eggs) I decided to try to find the clue beyond what was obvious; i.e. dark chocolate.

Besides, an egg denotes breakfast, it represents morning time. It also marks the origin or launch of a new product as also of the new life.

After Clue #2:

The second clue is a black newspaper. The obvious thought that struck me in line with the hypotheses I had drawn thus far was, the ‘Morning theme’ has been continued.

The newspaper has the black egg story as the headlines, that could either be a way to hint that the focus shouldn’t be lost from the direct co-relation of the clues rather than treating them as individual entities.

So with 2/3 clues out, what do you think the Clue #3 is going to be?

What’s your guess for the final product for which this campaign is designed?

There is no denying that it is a brilliant marketing campaign tailor-made to use the potential of blogging and active use of social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook to arouse curiosity and create buzz about the product launch.

Given the creativity with which the clues have been designed, I think, the connection hints to a product being used in morning. The product should be something that can be used by the general public irrespective of their eating habits or lifestyle (as no questions about them were asked to us before sending the clues or samples).

On this note, I checked out the following items from my list:

Shoe Polish : No relation to chocolate or newspaper as such

Breakfast Cereal : Has co-relation to morning but can’t be black (though chocolaty is possible but that isn’t NEW).

Shaving cream: Well, along with boys girls like me have been shortlisted in plenty to try & review the product so doesn’t make sense.

Dark Chocolate: The first clue wouldn’t have been a chocolate had it been the case.

Face cream : Possible but these days creams too are gender specific and how would you link it to chocolate? Though NOT ruling it out completely.

Shampoo / Hair Oil : it ranked quite high in my initial list and can be connected to bathing in morning. Yes, black suits it too. But, what connection it has to chocolate filled egg?

Deo : Possible but what co-relation it would have with chocolate?

I was going crazy thinking of possibilities while waiting for the clues to arrive, just when in the middle of a family discussion came my E U R E K A moment.

The EUREKA Moment: 

The one morning ritual I had completely forgotten was brushing teeth. How about a black Toothbrush or even a black Toothpaste?

When toothpaste these days can have Nimbu and Namak why can’t they be coloured black? Quite possible actually.

A black toothpaste? A toothpaste that’s black but makes teeth dazzling white.

Sounds possible and if it were to happen, it would surely hit the headlines. But somewhere deep it doesn’t sound like a very ‘right’ idea.

How about a black toothbrush?  Very much possible.

How would I co-relate a ‘Black Toothbrush’ to a chocolate filled egg and a black newspaper??

My logic (impending disclosure of Clue #3) : A black toothbrush fits the black colour bill. Secondly it is used to fight the decay caused by chocolates and is an essential part of the morning ritual. Though a black toothpaste is equally possible but I still support a black toothbrush more.

Besides, chocolates constitute the main etiologic factor behind tooth decay, cavities, which are again black. Bad breath can also be associated to black that’s drowning the whole world (represented by the newspaper) in black-dom in the morning.

My prediction for Clue #3:  

If I am thinking on the right lines, the third clue has to be a product used in morning. My guess is a black coffee mug or coffee powder or perhaps tea (as it is black) to signify the morning ritual. Besides an empty coffee mug could denote a cavity too.

While I am still waiting for my set of clues to arrive to get a first hand look, feel and understanding please do share with me your thoughts on #WhatTheBlack is going on??

P.S.- I’ll be sharing pictures of the clues and the product and further details as soon as I get to lay my hands on them.