Back in action

What do Vivian Richards, Allan Border and Kapil Dev have in common? Three things— they were captains of their respective teams, world cup winners and were featured by Reliance’s textile brand, Vimal in their ads during the cricket World Cup in 1987. The brand, well known for its star-powered campaigns, is now back to claim its space on Indian television after 8 years with an all-new campaign targeting the young buyers.

Interestingly, unlike the brand’s previous campaigns the new TV series is more product-based. This change in representation is part of the company’s makeover to make Vimal more relatable to the younger generations says Vivek Mehta, head-marketing, Reliance Textiles. “Vimal is positioned completely on innovation and technology, this in itself is a unique thing. We represent the 'Man of action' much like the youth today, who handle multiple roles in life with comfort and ease, “ he says.

If the motive was to identify with the youth of the nation, is it not counterproductive to use foreign models and locales? Rahul Gupta, MD, IBD India, strongly says the opposite. “The international look and feel plays to the fact that today’s youth are consumers of global appeal. Vimal will be a brand with global reach and the consumers also desire to look like global citizens,” he says.

With three ads on air already, the 30 sec clips showcase the unique features of the brand’s fabric; dust proof, anti-microbial and crease free. Gupta adds these features further make Vimal the brand for men in action. “We wanted to redefine the portrayal of successful men. The ads in this space have been about the rich and attractive men, while we are looking at the go-getters,” he concludes.