Fashion designer Rohit Bal lives the linen life in latest campaign via DDB Mudra Kolkata
Since 1949, Linen Club in India has been manufacturing quality linen fabric spun from the finest French and Belgian fibres. At the outset, low awareness of linen as a product amongst the potential consumer base led to communication campaigns by Linen Club that introduced these consumers to the features, attributes and benefits of linen. Subsequently, several other brands emerged in the market, both ready made and fabric, and began to piggy back on Linen Club’s educative communication of linen.
Therefore Linen Club’s communication needed to move beyond creating just awareness around the attributes of linen to establishing “Linen Club” as the preferred brand of choice among users in the premium fabric segment.
The challenge was to establish Linen Club in its rightful place of a leader – by communicating that Linen Club fabric is a cut above the rest in terms of feel, quality, premiumness and exclusivity. The challenge was also to establish the brand as the epitome of fashion and style and not just another linen fabric maker.
The idea by DDB Mudra Kolkata revolves around personifying the brand based on the concept of going beyond and seeking more. The campaign establishes the positioning “Live the linen life” which is to live a life that constantly strives to seek the best. The endeavour was to project the linen wearer as a person for whom excellence is a way of life, who would not settle for anything but the very best.
The execution focuses on characterizing the consumer as a person who takes distinction and superiority for granted – and therefore, an individual pushing the boundaries of brilliance and always aspiring beyond. This individual was embodied in the form of Rohit Bal, one of India’s leading fashion designers.
The subtle nuances of superiority and exclusivity needed to come out in the campaign as well as the overpowering desire for something beyond just perfection. So the key attributes of Linen Club fabric that make it so special were identified – the colour, the rarity and the feel, and then situations were created that would manifest them.
The television commercial underlines a heightened sense of the aesthetic and promulgates the yearning for a life par excellence, fuelled by the exemplary standards set by linen. To give it even more meaning, all the situations visualized revolved around nature as linen itself is a natural fabric.
Jasvinder Singh Kataria, VP, Linen Club said, “Linen Club has created the linen fabric category in India. It’s been a fascinating journey in our quest to continuously deliver the finest fabric to our consumers. The campaign had to bring out the best qualities of this fabric – the unmatched comfort, the incredible colours, the languid eloquence. We needed to bring alive the intimacy that this fabric shares with nature. Our brief to the agency was simply to communicate the product truth and to establish Linen Club in its rightful place as the benchmark brand in fashion. Our communication partner, DDB Mudra Kolkata, led by Sonal Dabral, has done a fabulous job in portraying the same.”
Speaking about this, Sonal Dabral, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group (pictured left) said, “Linen Club’s linen fabric is in a league of its own. The colours, the texture, the feel, the harmony, all provide an experience unmatched by any other fabric. The great Bill Bernbach once said ‘The magic lies in the product’. Our task therefore, was cut out. To communicate this product’s magic and its unique experience to our audience. We decided to do it by turning it into a life philosophy and branding it ‘The Linen Life’. A life that doesn’t settle for merely good but constantly strives for better and richer experiences. I’m really excited with the results. This campaign is more than just a campaign. Helmed by ace designer Rohit Bal, it’s a life philosophy packaged in a high fashion visual experience that will resonate with our target audience on a deep emotional level.”
Credits – Chairman & CCO: Sonal Dabral. President: Ranji Cherian. Executive Vice President: Sujay Ghosh. Unit Head: Rajarshi Bhattacharyya. Creative Head: Vikram Sengupta. Art: Shubha Sengupta. Account Management: Shantanu Pramanik. Director: Manuel Portillo. DOP (director of photography): Pablo Clemente. Production House: Kailash Picture Company. Production Executive: Arti Surendranath. Post Production: Pixion.