Shell is marketing its new range-topping engine oils in a different way

By daryl, 14 July 2020

Shell Malaysia Trading has a pair of new premium products in its range of lubricants and they're called Shell Helix Power and Shell Helix Protect. The new duo sit above the Shell Helix Ultra in the company's fully-synthetic engine oil hierarchy, with their glaringly obvious names basically explaining the main purpose of each respective product. 

This straightforward approach is meant to improve the communication of selling points to drivers who may be put off by traditional engine oil bottles with labels that are often riddled with technical jargon. As the new, simplified packaging suggests, Shell Helix Power has performance-focused additives for better power and acceleration while the additives in Shell Helix Protect help cleanse engine components for longer service life under urban driving conditions. Both feature the brand's PurePlus technology.

While the new Helix Power and Helix Protect oils are formally rated at 0W-40 and 0W-30 respectively, and very subtly at that, Shell insists that both offerings are compatible with 5W and 10W applications as well. For example, Shell Helix Power can be used in any car that would require a 0W-40, 5W-40 or 10W-40 lubricant (this message is repeated at the back of each bottle). After all, the winter rating (viscosity at zero degrees Celcius) rarely matters in our tropical climate. 

This goes back to Shell's main purpose of branding its product in a way that positions the consumer to prioritise what they expect out of an engine oil, rather than the syntax: don't worry about the numbers, just what you want for your car. 

The new Shell Helix Power and Shell Helix Protect retail at RM280 and RM240 (RRP) per 4-litre bottle respectively. As part of the launch, customers will get a free replica Scuderia Ferrari race car with the purchase of either one at any participating workshop while stocks last.