Brands
L’Oréal Professionnel brings Indian Hairdressing Awards
Mumbai: L’Oréal Professionnel, the professional hair tech brand, is set to introduce the iconic Indian Hairdressing Awards in an all-new format of a reality series streaming exclusively on JioCinema. Since 2014, The Indian Hairdressing Awards celebrate the art and skill of professional hairstyling. The competition recognises and rewards hairstylists across the country. This year’s edition was announced in August 2023 and received over 100K entries for its theme “Meta-morphosis” which represents real transformation.
From the thousands of hairdressers that participated in the competition, 89 regional finalists were chosen to compete on technical skills. They were judged by an eminent jury comprising of international hair artists and beauty media representatives.
The top 12 hairstylists will now compete in a mega-augmented L’Oréal Professionnel salon. Judging their art and technique will be an illustrious panel featuring the renowned filmmaker – Karan Johar, Min Kim, the L’Oréal Professionnel global colour ambassador, – and an exciting line-up of Bollywood celebrities.
The 12 hair pros will go through three challenges testing their skill and creativity to do real transformations through hair color, haircut and styling. hairstylists will have to achieve the ultimate freedom of self-expression and propose bold, elevated and out-of-the-box looks. These challenges will be scored by both judges and consumers. They will then compete in front of a live audience at the Grand Finale, which will also be streamed on JioCinema. The competition winners will not only win the consumers’ hearts but also a trip to Paris and an opportunity to enhance skills in Le Visionnaire, the prestigious L’Oréal academy in Paris.
Speaking on the launch of India’s only hairstyling reality series, L’Oréal Professionnel, India general manager Mathilde Barthélemy-Vigier said, “L’Oréal Professionnel has taken giant strides into the future. Consumer and hairstylist centricity are our key drivers to elevate the professional hair industry in India. In the last two decades, the country’s professional hair salon landscape has evolved at a supersonic pace. The skill of Indian hairstylists is now at par with global hair artists’ and with the 2024 edition of The Indian Hairdressing Awards, we wish to celebrate their infinite talent and potential.”
Speaking on the partnership with L’Oréal Professionnel, Viacom18 Media’s head of network sales Mahesh Shetty said, “At Viacom18, we have always worked towards developing and building IPs and formats that are sustainable, relevant and one that deepens consumer connect. L’Oréal Professionnel is the undisputed leader in the professional hair care and styling category and The Indian Hairdressing Awards re-affirms them as thought leaders in this space. As digital partners, we are confident of providing this unique property with its deserving reach through JioCinema, thereby elevating the IP to newer heights.”
Brands
Godrej clarifies ‘GI’ identifier after logo similarity debate
Says GI is not a logo, will not replace Godrej signature across products.
MUMBAI: In a branding storm where shapes did the talking, Godrej is now spelling things out. Godrej Industries Group (GIG) has issued a clarification on its newly introduced ‘GI’ identifier, addressing questions around its purpose and design following a wave of online criticism. At the centre of the debate were two concerns: whether the new mark replaces the long-standing Godrej logo, and whether its geometric design mirrors other corporate identities.
The company has drawn a clear line. The Godrej signature logo, it said, remains unchanged and continues to be the sole logo across all consumer-facing products and services. The ‘GI’ mark, by contrast, is not a logo but a corporate group identifier intended for use alongside the Godrej signature or company name, and aimed at stakeholders such as investors, media and talent rather than consumers.
The need for such a distinction stems from the 2024 restructuring of the broader Godrej Group into two separate business entities. With both continuing to operate under the same Godrej name and signature, the identifier is positioned as a way to differentiate the Godrej Industries Group at a corporate level.
The rollout, however, triggered a broader conversation on design originality. Critics pointed to similarities between the GI mark’s geometric composition and logos used by companies globally, raising questions about distinctiveness.
Responding to this, GIG said its intellectual property and legal review found that such overlaps are common in minimalist, geometry-led design systems. Basic forms such as circles and rectangles appear across dozens of brand identities worldwide, the company noted.
It added that the identifier emerged from an extensive design process and was chosen for its simplicity, allowing it to sit alongside the Godrej signature without competing visually. While acknowledging that elemental shapes may appear less distinctive in isolation, the group emphasised that the mark is part of a broader identity system that includes a custom typeface, sonic branding and other proprietary elements.
Following legal and ethical assessments, the company said it found no impediment to using the identifier, reiterating that the GI mark is a corporate tool not a consumer-facing symbol.
In short, the logo isn’t changing but the conversation around it certainly has.
