Titan-owned eyewear brand Fastrack made headlines in 2013 when it released an ad that showed two women stumbling out of a closet as they fixed their clothes. It was Fastrack’s irreverent approach to cause-marketing. Since then the brand has appealed to young Indians with a quintessentially Fastrack brand of communication. Now the brand is taking a more straight-forward and functional approach.
Fastrack has launched a new campaign that positions sunglasses as a necessity and not just an accessory. The objective of the campaign “NecessoryNotAccessory” is to make consumers understand the importance of owning different kinds of sunglasses and explaining the protective advantage they bring against the sun, dust, and pollutants. The brand targets Gen Z consumers between the ages of 15 and 24 years old. Hence, the style of the campaign is humor-laden and irreverent.
Made by advertising agency Mullen Lintas, the three 10-second long snappy ad spots address three distinct use cases of eyewear. For instance, in the first ad, the protagonist (a bike rider) is shown hanging on a tree after he met with an accident. The viewer is quickly familiarized that he hurt himself because he wasn’t wearing “wraps,” which could have protected his eyes from dust and particles.
Similarly, in the other two spots, it is revealed one can protect oneself from untoward incidents by wearing the right kind of sunglasses. Thus, establishing the narrative on how eyewear has become a necessity instead of being a mere accessory.
Untapped market
Talking about the gap in the Indian market and the untapped potential, Maneesh Krishnamurthy, head of marketing (Eyecare) at Titan, notes that the eyewear category in India is estimated to be around Rs 18,000 crores, and 15 percent of that is sunglasses. He says that even before COVID started, the overall category has been flat.
“…and we find that to be a little strange and counterintuitive because in a country which is as hot and sunny as India, I would expect that sunglasses are far more popular. But that’s not the case, and therefore it’s a low penetration category, which is not galloping like one would imagine,” he explains.
Krishnamurthy says that one of the significant barriers for people who are not using eyewear is how a frame will end up looking on their face, and they worry about whether they’ll be able to carry it off. The second opportunity is that of inducing multiple ownership. Hence, the new ads break down what different sunglasses do for customers.
“What does a polarized lens really do for you? What does a mirrored lens really do for you? Wraps may be a little more understood, but these two features, in particular, polarized and mirrored ones, are not very well understood, and therefore we thought we would explain that through this campaign,” he adds.
Titan’s eyecare business is made up of two retail brands – Titan Eye+, which is the mainstay flagship brand that targets families operating in the mid-premium space.
“We have around 900 stores currently, and the central promise is around expertise and empathy. So if you’re looking for an expert solution, Titan Eye+ is a place to come to. The other new and emerging retail chain that we have is called Fastrack specs store. It’s for the young, irreverent consumer. The central promise is about affordable fashion. The store decor, the graffiti, it’s all very sort of loud and in your face, quite different from the understated, classic tones that Titan will have. We currently have five stores in Bangalore,” Krishnamurthy shares.
The new integrated campaign, which is being promoted across digital and traditional platforms, is targeted more towards young consumers of the brand.
Agency Speak
Known for its humour-led and irreverent campaigns, Fastrack advertising has been bold and direct in its approach towards issues that matter to young consumers. Be it heartbreaks, gender fluidity, or even breaking stereotypes, the brand has always taken a strong stance.
This time, the new campaign is more functional in its approach.
Sonali Khanna, president and head of Lowe Lintas, South, highlights that the client brief was to drive home the functionality of sunglasses rather than developing a conventional fashion-led communication piece.
“Fastrack is a brand where we’ve always made unconventional campaigns to match their unique products. Hence, we decided to push this from merely a ‘feature-education’ piece to a fun and interesting narrative on why sunglasses are ‘Necessary not Accessory’,” she notes.