Brands
Woolmark rewrites the wool narrative as Indian luxury embraces Merino’s year-round appeal
MUMBAI: Woolmark has thrown down a gauntlet to India’s luxury market, partnering with Ajio Luxe and Tata CLiQ Luxury to rebrand Merino wool as a versatile, high-performance fibre for all seasons. The “Merino Reimagined” campaign marks three consecutive years of collaboration with Ajio Luxe and the first partnership with Tata CLiQ Luxury, capturing India’s fast-growing discerning consumer who demands performance, quality, sustainability and style in one package.
The strategy is two-pronged. Ajio Luxe’s “Merino Wool Crafted for Motion” campaign spotlights the fibre’s technical credentials: dynamic breathability, superior moisture management and inherent odour resistance. The message is clear, Merino is for the active, the athleisure-clad, the contemporary consumer who refuses to compromise between performance and elegance.
Tata CLiQ Luxury takes a different angle, emphasising year-round versatility and refined style. Lightweight Merino garments here transcend the outdated notion of wool as purely winter wear. Instead, they become premium, sustainable wardrobe staples designed for India’s variable climate and the discerning shopper who invests wisely.
Woolmark managing director John Roberts, declared the moment decisive. “India’s luxury consumer is highly discerning and increasingly seeks investments that blend performance, quality, sustainability and style,” he said. “By spotlighting Merino across athleisure and year-round dressing, we are dismantling outdated perceptions of seasonality and reaffirming its status as the world’s most versatile natural luxury fibre.”
The partnership reflects a broader reckoning: Merino wool’s time has come. In a market where perception often outpaces reality, Woolmark is betting that India’s luxury shoppers are ready to think differently about wool. If the campaign lands, it could fundamentally reshape how Indian consumers view this ancient fibre.
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.
