Brands
Air India starts rollout of new global brand identity
Mumbai: Air India has started the rollout of its recently unveiled global brand identity across guest touchpoints, beginning with a full switch to the new look across digital and online channels and rebranding at Delhi and Mumbai airports.
The new identity, unveiled in August 2023, is centered around the ‘Vista’, Air India’s logo icon and a symbol of limitless possibilities and progressiveness. The new look features Air India’s new brand colours, including Air India red, aubergine, rose gold, and accents of gold, as well as the extensive usage of customised iconography and a bespoke font, Air India Sans – all crafted to reflect a bold, modern, and world-class airline with an Indian heart. This spirit is now reflected in:
. A redesigned website, airindia.com, and a new mobile app: Air India guests will now be able to enjoy a more seamless and intuitive online experience with streamlined booking flows, faster performance, new features, and a refreshed design that showcases the airline’s new brand identity. The new website and mobile app were designed and architected by Air India’s teams in Kochi and Silicon Valley.
. New social media avatar: Air India’s social media platforms have been revamped to reflect the new brand identity, offering engaging content and an interactive platform for guests to connect with the airline and fellow travellers.
. Gradual rollout at airports: Starting with Delhi and Mumbai airports, guests will begin to see the new branding come alive at various touchpoints, including check-in counters, boarding gates, lounges, and newly designed boarding cards. The rollout will progressively extend to other airports across Air India’s growing global network in the coming weeks.
“The network-wide switch to our new global brand identity is a landmark moment for Air India,” said Air India CEO & managing director Campbell Wilson. “It’s not just about bringing our new logo and colours to customer touchpoints; it’s a promise to our guests of a transforming travel experience that is modern, seamless, and infused with the warmth and hospitality that defines a new India and a new Air India. We are confident that the modern, world-class look of Air India will appeal to our guests globally and serve as a strong reminder of all the remarkable changes that have come or are to come to their Air India experience.”
Rebranding on and inside aircraft
The new Air India livery will feature on the A350 fleet and subsequently on other incoming brand-new aircraft. The in-flight rollout of the new global brand identity is linked to the airline’s soon-to-be-inducted Airbus A350 fleet as well as subsequent refurbishment of cabin products over the next few months.
“This is a transformation of great scale, and therefore, it may take us a while to achieve consistency in our product, service, and the overall ‘new Air India experience’. We will continue to seek the support of our guests as we modernise Air India and make it a world-class airline that India deserves,” Wilson added.
Earlier this year, Air India placed record-setting orders for 470 aircraft with Airbus and Boeing for US$ 70 billion (at published list prices), from which the much-anticipated Airbus A350 aircraft will start arriving this month. A US$ 400 million project for the refurbishment of 43 of Air India’s legacy widebody aircraft begins mid-2024, which will lead to the installation of brand-new seats in every cabin, new inflight entertainment systems, and inflight Wi-Fi internet connectivity.
Air India last week revealed new uniforms for its cabin and cockpit crews, designed by the famed Indian couturier, Manish Malhotra. The new uniforms will be introduced in a phased manner over the next few months, starting with the entry of service of Air India’s first Airbus A350. The airline will also soon reveal new uniforms for ground staff, engineers, and security personnel, designed by Manish Malhotra.
Brands
Malaika Arora launches accessories brand Maejoy
The Bollywood star’s lifestyle brand, built with Myntra and Exceed Entertainment, promises aspirational fashion without the high price tag
MUMBAI: Malaika Arora is not the first Bollywood star to put her name on a brand, and she will not be the last. But Maejoy, the accessories label she has launched in partnership with Myntra Jabong India Private Limited (MJIPL) and talent outfit Exceed Entertainment, at least has a sharper pitch than most. The brand drops with 250-plus styles spanning handbags and lab-grown diamond jewellery, two categories that sit squarely in the sweet spot between aspiration and affordability, and lands on Myntra’s platform from day one, putting it in front of millions of shoppers without breaking a sweat.
The handbag range covers the full gamut: crossbody bags, structured shoulder bags, bucket bags, totes, workwear classics, backpacks and clutches, rendered in synthetic leather, raffia, braids, satin, rhinestone and metallic finishes. The jewellery line runs to rings, earrings, pendants, bracelets and tennis bracelets in silver, gold and rose-gold tones, set in 925 sterling silver with IGI and GCI certified lab-grown diamonds. The brand’s guiding philosophy, “The Joy of Being Me,” stakes its claim on individuality and self-expression; its three brand pillars, Authentic, Empowering, Accessible, are the usual suspects, though the lab-grown diamond bet is savvier than it sounds. Lab-grown stones now sell at a fraction of the price of mined ones, and the category is growing fast in India as younger buyers wise up to the arbitrage.
“Maejoy is a labour of love. Throughout my career, whether on screen, in business, or through my personal style, I’ve championed the idea that fashion should be empowering yet effortless. The brand aims to democratise global fashion trends while offering women something that extends the feeling of luxury every day, be it a lab-grown diamond or a perfectly crafted handbag,” said Malaika Arora, founder of Maejoy
MJIPL, the B2B wholesale arm of Myntra, is putting its design and brand-building muscle behind the venture. Suman Saha, chief experience officer and head of house of brands at MJIPL, was bullish on the tie-up.
“Maejoy brings together Malaika Arora’s distinctive style perspective with a strong proposition in the accessible yet elevated accessories space. We believe the brand’s fashion-forward designs and thoughtful positioning will connect strongly with discerning consumers.”
Suman Saha, chief experience officer, head of house of brands, MJIPL
Afsar Zaidi, chief executive of Exceed Entertainment, the talent management firm that helped broker the deal, has worked with MJIPL before and was characteristically direct about what makes Arora an unusually bankable partner.
“Building celebrity-led brands requires a delicate balance of authenticity and market viability. Malaika is a rare talent who commands equal respect as a fashion icon and a savvy businesswoman. We are proud to facilitate this partnership that brings together her creative clout and Myntra’s brand-building excellence,” said Zaidi
Celebrity fashion brands live or die on one question: does the star actually wear it, or is the cheque the only thing they signed? Arora, who has spent three decades as one of Bollywood’s most-watched style references, has at least built a plausible case. Maejoy is live now on www.myntra.com and the Myntra app. The real test, whether shoppers buy the handbag or just the hype, starts today.
