New Delhi: The young starlet, Ananya Panday is on a winning streak and even the lockdown can’t dampen her spirit. To spread her cheer, European denim brand ONLY launched a campaign with the ‘Student of the Year 2’ star who is brand ambassador of the fashion wear brand.
The campaign ‘ONLY at Home’ has been shot entirely at Panday’s home and captures her lockdown diaries. It motivate girls to dress-up at home and to have fun with their style and looks even while indulging in various daily activities and while pursuing new hobbies from home.
IANSlife spoke to Vineet Gautam, CEO and Country Head, Bestseller India, to learn more about the campaign and the brand’s expansion plans in India.
Excerpts:
What is the concept behind the campaign and how did it all come into being?
Gautam: We were driven by the endeavour to stay connected with our consumers and to engage with them during these times. While we have been bracing ourselves for a gradual recovery, to stimulate relevant brand visibility, we developed an innovative campaign for our womenswear brand ONLY that caters to stylish millennials.
The concept stemmed from a thought to encourage consumers to conquer these unique times with utmost joy, self-care and creativity. To reflect the same, we partnered with Ananya Panday to create a variety of looks to motivate girls to dress-up and to experiment with their style, practice new hobbies to break the dull monotony of the lockdown period.
How is Ananya the perfect choice for your brand/campaign?
Gautam: We signed Ananya as ONLY’s brand ambassador last year. She embodies the the label’s spirit of being trendy and edgy, not only with her fashion sense but also with her personality and attitude. This makes her the perfect fit to communicate our philosophy. With this campaign, we wanted to capture the canvas of Ananya’s lockdown diaries to spread a message amongst millenials that even though the world is striving to adjust to the new normal, some things like self-love and self-care will never go out of style!
While marketing goes virtual in the pandemic era, how does this campaign stand out?
Gautam: The pandemic has put onus on brands to think innovatively and reimagine certain things like never before. I am proud of how well our company has adapted itself, given the circumstances. In this regard, it is pertinent to note that shooting a brand campaign is a rather complex and highly nuanced procedure which involves a larger team looking after each and every element. As attention to the minutest of the details is a priority to deliver a sought after product, each element is carefully woven together in creative heaven.
Brands have always been accustomed to shooting campaigns outdoors or in a studio set-up, therefore, the industry has had to quickly change course as working from home and social distancing became the new norm. Similarly, it also became important to remain connected and strengthen our bond with the target audience now more than ever-keeping them updated on new developments at the brand’s end or even just to spread a message of hope and positivity during these difficult times.
In times like these, nothing takes more precedence than to embrace oneself wholeheartedly and with our campaign, we set out to spread that message with the help of Ananya.
Must have been tough to execute the campaign?
Gautam: Once we finalised we wanted to portray the new reality of the world, from the ONLY Girl Ananya Panday’s perspective, we immediately got to work. The thought was to create a canvas of looks with Ananya to motivate girls to dress-up at home and to have fun with their style and looks even while indulging in various daily activities and while pursuing new hobbies from home.
Of course, shooting with a large number of people was out of the question. We collaborated with Cosmopolitan India, to further innovate and execute our idea. Ananya was quick to adapt to the new ways of shooting at home. It was a challenge to pull this off – however it was very hearting to see the whole team come together on this campaign while working from home – exemplifying ultimate creativity and adaptability. This was a completely different process and rewarding experience for everyone, and one that Ananya and the entire team thoroughly enjoyed! She has also been thrilled to see the positive response the campaign has been garnering on social media.
Being a European brand, how do you see the Indian market?
Gautam: India as a market has always been interesting for us. To rightfully capture the market sentiment, we did localise our operations in the country – from production to sampling. Even our designs are tailored for the market � as per what the Indian consumer desires and needs while keeping our European DNA in check. While we have released India specific collections, we have also collaborated with like-minded people who marry the brand philosophy with what the youth wants.
We’re definitely motivated and filled with hope for the future. We will continue to set more trends, bring in more innovation and focus on forging an inimitable bond with our customers.
Any expansion plans in the coming months?
Gautam: As of now, all expansion plans for the next 6 to 9 months are on hold. We will continue to monitor and evaluate the situation. Currently, we are focusing on our Phygital retail model. As and when we deem fit, we will resume expanding.
