NEW DELHI, Sept 5: As trade tensions between India and the United States escalate, toothpaste has unexpectedly become a symbol of nationalism.

Indian consumer goods company Dabur, a rival to Colgate-Palmolive, is tapping into patriotic sentiment by urging consumers to choose local brands over foreign ones. The company ran a prominent newspaper ad this week that, while not naming Colgate directly, targeted a toothpaste “born there, not here” — written in a font colored like the American flag.

The campaign comes in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s renewed appeal to embrace Swadeshi, or made-in-India products. Speaking on Thursday, Modi encouraged students to list out foreign-made goods and suggested that teachers guide them to avoid such products.

This nationalist push follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision last week to impose up to 50% tariffs on Indian imports, triggering strong reactions in India. Supporters of Modi launched WhatsApp campaigns to boycott American brands such as McDonald’s, Pepsi, and Apple.

Dabur’s ad, which ran in The Times of India, featured generic toothpaste tubes designed to resemble Colgate’s branding. It claimed India’s most popular toothpaste was American and promoted Dabur as the Swadeshi alternative. The ad also included a QR code linking directly to Dabur products on Amazon India — which accounts for nearly a third of India’s online shopping market.

Dabur declined to comment on the ad. Colgate, which currently controls 43% of India’s toothpaste market, also did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment. Unilever’s Pepsodent holds second place, while Dabur stands third with a 17% market share, according to Euromonitor’s 2024 data.

With India's 1.4 billion people forming a crucial market for U.S. consumer brands — many of which have deep reach into even small towns — companies are leveraging public sentiment to promote domestic goods.

Marketing expert Karthik Srinivasan described these tactics as "moment marketing,” aimed at capitalizing on short-term public sentiment.

“It’s about riding the wave. Brands are asking: ‘How can we benefit from this emotion today or tomorrow?’” he said.

Other companies are adopting similar strategies. Dairy giant Amul has shared cartoons promoting Indian-made products on social media, including one showing its iconic mascot holding both a butter slab and the Indian flag. Meanwhile, Rediff, once a leading Indian email provider, placed an ad branding itself as the "mail of India" that keeps users' data within the country.