Sparx taps Raghu-Rajiv banter for Summer Swag campaign

MUMBAI: Sparx is stepping into the season with its new Summer Swag campaign, turning a simple style question “Yeh shoe hai ya sandal?” into a loud, chaotic and thoroughly entertaining internet debate led by television’s favourite argumentative duo, Raghu and Rajiv. At the centre of the campaign is Sparx’s new Shoe-Style Sandals range, designed to merge the structure and visual appeal of shoes with the comfort, breathability and ease of sandals, a hybrid format aimed squarely at India’s increasingly comfort-first yet style-conscious younger consumers.

Conceptualised as a digital-first campaign, the film thrives on the trademark chemistry between Raghu and Rajiv, whose endless back-and-forth arguments transform a basic product conversation into something that feels less like advertising and more like watching two friends stubbornly refuse to let a pointless debate die.

And that is precisely the point.

Rather than selling footwear through polished fashion montages, Sparx leans into humour, relatability and meme-friendly banter, a strategy increasingly dominating youth-focused advertising as brands compete for attention spans shaped by reels, reaction clips and creator culture.

The campaign positions Shoe-Style Sandals as versatile summer footwear built for consumers who no longer separate fashion from practicality. The idea is simple, footwear should work across errands, casual outings and everyday wear without forcing consumers to choose between comfort and style.

Relaxo Footwears co-chief executive officer and whole time director Gaurav Kumaar Dua said the company is responding to a growing shift towards multi-purpose footwear as consumer expectations evolve. According to him, the campaign was intentionally built around humour and conversational storytelling because that reflects how younger audiences now engage with both fashion and branded content.

The broader market context makes the move timely. India’s open-footwear category has been rapidly evolving beyond basic utility, with brands increasingly experimenting with crossover designs, athleisure influences and hybrid silhouettes that blur traditional product categories.

Sparx’s answer to that trend is a product that looks structured enough to pass off as a shoe while remaining relaxed enough to survive Indian summers.

Whether consumers call it a shoe or a sandal, however, seems almost secondary now. The bigger win may simply be getting people to argue about it online, preferably for as long as Raghu and Rajiv do.