Brands
Flair Pens launches ‘The Right Move’ campaign for eco-friendly pencil
MUMBAI: Flair Pens has rolled out its latest sustainability-led initiative, ‘The Right Move’, a campaign that positions the Move 2mm mechanical pencil as an eco-conscious alternative to traditional wooden pencils. Conceptualised by Schbang, the emotionally charged film uses a child’s perspective to highlight the unseen environmental cost of classroom stationery.
At the heart of the campaign is a simple yet powerful metaphor: the act of sharpening a pencil visually transforms into trees being cut down, reminding viewers of the link between everyday stationery choices and deforestation. By framing this through a child’s innocent lens, the narrative drives home the importance of making conscious decisions early on.
Unlike traditional wooden pencils, the Move 2mm mechanical pencil is refillable and not made of wood, while still retaining a familiar wooden feel. This innovation reduces waste, ensures longevity, and allows students to enjoy the same writing experience without compromising on sustainability.
The campaign is designed to resonate with students, parents, and educators, positioning Flair not just as a stationery manufacturer but as an empathetic innovator addressing both environmental and user needs.
“The 2mm pencil is truly an innovation for a cause. To launch such a product, we wanted to drive the importance of this innovation directly to its users, the children, and inspire them to make the right change,” said Schbang creative lead Vaibhav Das.
Through ‘The Right Move,’ Flair underscores its mission to make sustainable choices accessible and impactful, proving that environmental responsibility can begin with something as simple as a pencil.
Brands
Estée Lauder to shed 10,000 jobs as new boss bets on digital shift
The cosmetics giant raises its profit outlook but stays silent on a possible merger with Spain’s Puig, as job cuts deepen and a three-year sales slump weighs on the turnaround
NEW YORK: Stéphane de La Faverie is not done cutting. Estée Lauder announced on Friday that it plans to eliminate as many as 3,000 additional jobs, taking its total redundancy programme to as many as 10,000 roles, up from a previous target of 7,000 announced a year ago. The company, which owns La Mer, The Ordinary, Tom Ford, and Aveda, employs roughly 57,000 people worldwide. The mathematics of what is now being contemplated is stark.
The fresh round of cuts is expected to generate a further $200 million in savings, bringing the total annual savings from the programme to as much as $1.2 billion before taxes. That money, De La Faverie has made clear, will be ploughed back into the turnaround.
A CEO in a hurry
De La Faverie, who took the helm in January 2025, inherited a company that had endured three consecutive years of annual sales declines. His response has been to move fast and cut deep. A significant portion of the latest redundancies reflects his push to reduce headcount at US department stores, long a cornerstone of Estée Lauder’s distribution model but now a channel in structural decline. In their place, he is accelerating the shift toward faster-growing online platforms, including Amazon.com and TikTok Shop, a pivot that is reshaping not just where Estée Lauder sells but how it thinks about its customers.
The numbers are moving in the right direction
Despite the pain, there are signs the medicine is working. Estée Lauder raised its profit outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year, guiding for adjusted earnings per share in the range of $2.35 to $2.45, above analyst estimates and a notable step up from the $2.05 to $2.25 range it had guided for in February. Organic net sales growth is expected to come in at 3 per cent, the company said, at the high end of the range it set out in February.
The share price tells a mixed story. After De La Faverie took charge, the stock surged nearly 60 per cent, buoyed by investor optimism that a longtime company insider could finally arrest the decline. But 2026 has been rougher: the shares have fallen 27 per cent this year, weighed down by disappointing February results and the overhang of unresolved merger talks with Spanish beauty giant Puig Brands SA. The company gave no additional details about those discussions on Friday, leaving the market to guess.
Silence on Puig
The proposed tie-up with Puig remains the most consequential unknown hanging over Estée Lauder. A deal with the Barcelona-based group, which owns brands including Carolina Herrera and Rabanne, would reshape the global luxury beauty landscape. But with nothing new to say and a turnaround still very much in progress, De La Faverie is asking investors to trust the process.
Three years of sales declines, 10,000 job cuts, and a merger that may or may not happen. At Estée Lauder, the overhaul has barely started.
