Brands
Girnar tea partners with Ajay Devgan for ‘Raid’
MUMBAI: Girnar Food and Beverages has joined hands with Ajay Devgn starrer upcoming Bollywood film Raid. Leading film marketing and brand alliance agency, Blue Bang Media & Entertainment clinched the plum deal bridging brand Girnar Tea and mass entertainer Raid.
Girnar Tea, a brand which started its journey four decades ago, now holds the reputation of being one of India’s finest tea brands, with a respectable name among tea connoisseurs across the globe. Its prime ethos rests on a yearning to promote and offer world class teas to its customers fuelled by a passion for excellence.
The deal entails a co-branded TV commercial that has been created to seamlessly merge the brand with the film, featuring the lead star of the film Ajay Devgn. The salient features of the brand inherently align itself to the central character of ‘Raid’ played by Ajay Devgn hence the association fructified. The TV spot spans over 20 seconds and will play out across leading media platforms.
Girnar Tea director Viduit Shah says, “An excellent fit between our brand and the character played by the star of the film Ajay Devgn in Raid attracted us towards the tie-up. Our TG of kadak-chai lovers look up to Ajay Devgn as a symbol of toughness and principles as portrayed in the film. Also, it was a great opportunity to reach our core target audience by aligning our brand with an entertainment platform.”
Blue Bang Media & Entertainment MD and CEO Vinay Punjabi adds, “The key objective for the brand Girnar was to engage with their core TG which is tea lovers through an entertainment platform that reaches out to a large audience base of similar demographics and psychological profiling. By associating with the Hindi feature film, Raid, Girnar Tea accomplishes its objective of connecting with its core TG through an entertainment platform that echoes the salient features of the brand.”
Raid is a thriller film produced by T-Series and Panorama Pictures, starring Ajay Devgn, Ileana DCruz and Saurabh Shukla in lead roles.
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.
