VI-JOHN returns as official grooming partner of I-POPSTAR Season 2

GURUGRAM: Second season, same swagger. VI-JOHN, one of India’s established grooming brands, is back as the official grooming partner of I-POPSTAR Season 2, marking the second consecutive year of its association with the music reality show. The brand’s pitch to young India is blunt and catchy: “Photocopy Nahi, Original Dikho.”

The partnership reinforces VI-JOHN’s commitment to connecting with younger consumers through platforms that celebrate individuality, self-expression and originality. The fit is neat. I-POPSTAR, featuring music mentors Neha Kakkar, King and Aditya Rikhari, gives emerging singers a platform to showcase their talent, distinctive styles and original musical expressions. A show built on discovering unique voices sits comfortably beside a brand built on the same idea.

The bigger story is how the brand shows up. This year’s association builds on the previous season with an expanded set of brand integrations and content opportunities: on-show product integrations, host mentions, dedicated social media content and a specially created VI-JOHN song inspired by the brand’s originality proposition. Together, these initiatives aim to take the brand’s message beyond conventional visibility and into the cultural spaces where younger audiences discover and express themselves. In a crowded youth market, a logo on a banner is easy to ignore, whereas a song people can sing along to is not.

Ashutosh Chaudharie, general manager, marketing, VI-JOHN, said, “At VI-JOHN, we believe that grooming is not just about how you look, but also about the confidence to express who you are. Our proposition, ‘Photocopy Nahi, Original Dikho’, celebrates individuality, and I-POPSTAR provides a natural platform to bring this belief to life through music and emerging talent. Returning for the second consecutive year reflects our belief in the platform’s ability to connect with young India. We see this as an opportunity to move beyond traditional brand presence and make our proposition part of the conversations, culture and content that resonate with today’s youth.”

The platform’s view is just as upbeat. Rahul Arora, head, Rusk Ads, Rusk Media, said, “When a brand comes back for a second season, it tells us the first one worked. VI-JOHN’s ‘Photocopy Nahi, Original Dikho’ fits I-POPSTAR naturally, because the show is about young artists finding a sound that is completely their own. This season we’ve gone further than visibility: the brand is woven into the show through product integrations, host moments, social content and a song created around its proposition. That’s how we believe brands should show up for young India, as part of the culture they actually watch, share and sing along to, and we’re glad to have VI-JOHN with us again.”

Arora’s point about repeat business is the sharpest in the release. Brands rarely return to a property unless it delivers, and a second year suggests both sides see value in the arrangement. With the show streaming on Netflix and Alright! TV, VI-JOHN gets a stage where young viewers watch, share and engage, which is exactly where a legacy brand needs to be heard.