MAM
Lee onboards Sara Ali Khan as its brand ambassador in India
Mumbai: Iconic denim brand Lee has announced that it has onboarded Sara Ali Khan as its brand ambassador in India. It has also launched a new brand campaign titled “Lee: Home of the Real Denim” that aims to enhance Lee’s reputation as the preferred denim brand for young audience.
Lee, the legendary denim brand has maintained its strong connect with the millennials and Gen Z. Today, it is synonymous with denim and serves as both a symbol of globalization and a youthful spirit. Ever since 1889, Lee has always stood for its pioneering spirit and innovation, such as the world’s first-ever zip fly jeans – 101Z in 1927, iconic ‘Hair-on-hide’ leather label and ‘Lazy S’ back pocket stitching. The legendary denim brand has thus transformed from a practical-and-durable-workwear maker to a contemporary-and-trendy fashion giant.
Denim never goes out of style and through the two ad films, Lee highlights the narrative “If it’s not Lee, it’s not Denim”. The campaign focuses on holistic and self-deprecating humour with stylish, fun and modern women in the forefront. Sara making an entrance embodying fashion police and donning the ever-so-easy and comfortable denims from Lee makes the audience question their fashion choices and make a mental note to switch over to Lee. Sara, with her magnetic presence, brings the films the required flavour and attitude.
Below is the link to the first film that will go live on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Google apart from OTT platforms on 10 December 2023.
The first film will run for a month and the second film will go live in January 2024.
Commenting on the campaign, ace turtle CEO Nitin Chhabra said, “We are delighted to have Sara Ali Khan as the brand ambassador of Lee in India. Sara embodies the spirit of Lee with her authenticity and flair. Lee’s legacy extends to over a century combining the heritage of denim with the contemporary ethos of embracing one’s true self. We are confident that the campaign will help to build on Lee®’s brand equity and help us drive more customers to our retail stores and online channels. We aim to significantly grow Lee’s business in India by the end of the current fiscal year.”
Expressing her excitement, Sara Ali Khan said, “The brand’s rich heritage, coupled with its contemporary edge, resonates with my personal sense of fashion. I am delighted to be part of Lee’s narrative, embracing its legacy and, more importantly, fuelling a new denim fervour among the vibrant and diverse young consumers of India. It’s not just about fashion; it’s about connecting with the spirit and style of today’s generation, creating a statement that transcends time.”
ace turtle is the exclusive licensee of Lee in India and other South Asian markets. Lee is currently available at exclusive brand outlets and leading departmental store chains such as Lifestyle, Shoppers Stop, Pantaloons and Centro among others. The legendary global denim brand is also available online at its dedicated webstore www.lee.in along with popular online marketplaces such as Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Ajio, Tatacliq and Nykaa.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
