VIP switches to mass appeal
In its latest TV campaign, Aristocrat targets a wider audience following a brand revamp and a new celebrity endorser
When it comes to appealing to a mass audience, the “durability” of durable goods tops all other factors. This is evident in a new TV commercial (TVC) aired by leading luggage manufacturer VIP Industries for its brand, Aristocrat. The advertisement stars cricketer Rohit Sharma, one of the cricketing duo (the other being Ravichandran Ashwin) who were signed up as celebrity endorsers by VIP over a year ago.
In the ad, which runs for half a minute, the ace batter is shown waiting beside the conveyer belt at an airport to fetch his luggage. He tells the airline personnel that his baggage hasn’t arrived and requests them to take care of it as it has something precious. In the next few frames, we see an Aristocrat luggage landing on a tarmac, casually dragged along and thrown into a van by a ground staffer. The airline staff finally arrive at his hotel room to deliver the baggage without a scratch on it. The cricketer takes out a trophy from the luggage and kisses it.
From trademark suitcases and briefcases to manufacturing all-new soft luggage makes, Aristocrat’s journey has stretched over decades, with the brand evolving according to the changes in demand and times, according to VIP. With its latest TVC titled “Unpack Your Dreams” (which is a fresh tagline to accompany a new logo following a brand revamp), the company tries to emphasise that Aristocrat will always come in handy to assist the user in her journey to achieve dreams with promises of durability and quality.
VIP Industries has six brands, including five for luggage and one for women’s handbags. Sudip Ghose, vicepresident, sales and marketing, VIP Industries, points out that the company’s core strength has been in catering to audiences looking for products in the ~3,000-6,000 range, where two of its brands — Skybags and VIP — enjoy a market share of close to 70 per cent.
Ghose points out that there is a sizeable section of the market comprising consumers buying luggage priced below ~3,000. So far VIP was not targeting this segment, as it was focused on the one above this price range and the low-priced bracket included innumerable unbranded players whose prices the company could never match. “With GST (goods and services tax) and demonetisation, and thereafter customs becoming very strict, people who were doing tax evasion have suddenly found it difficult to supplying stocks to this market. Following GST, prices have become much more competitive, and therefore the price point below ~3,000 has presented an opportunity to us. We have begun concentrating on Aristocrat with a new logo, and also signed Rohit while relaunching the brand,” he explains.
While targeting the unorganised segment newly, the company chose Sharma and Ashwin to appeal to a countrywide audience. The narrative in this ad showing the value of Aristocrat luggage while travelling by air only reflects how the company is addressing an aspirational segment.
Aristocrat forms about 15 per cent of VIP’s overall business, and it is expected to grow to 25-30 per cent in two years. “Luggage is about safety, and it is supposed to protect your prized possessions. With different brands we pick up various aspects. So, Skybags talk about style, while Carlton means business. Here, we talk about durability which is the key factor for the segment we are addressing, says Ghose.
The TVC, conceptualised by Havas Worldwide (India), is being supported with outdoor campaigns across 100 small towns in the country.
While targeting the unorganised segment, VIP roped in Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin