‘Necessary, Not Accessory’: Fastrack Sunglasses Become the Antidote for Unfortunate Scenarios
A motorcyclist caught in a tree. A volleyball player in A&E. And a kayaker stung by a jellyfish. All incidents that could easily have been avoided, as Indian accessory brand Fastrack demonstrated in its Silver Effie-winning campaign last year. ‘Necessary, Not Accessory’ delivered the message that sunglasses are highly functional, necessary items – not just fashion accessories as so many have come to view them.
Adapting the concept for Indian weddings, the latest instalment of the campaign, ‘Mere Ex Ki Shaadi’ (‘My Ex’s Wedding’), targets young adults who want to hide their true emotions or drown out the noise during this hugely popular, busy season where everyone with even a loose connection to the happy couple tend to be invited.
To find out more about the brand’s mission to redefine sunglasses, LBB’s Sunna Coleman speaks with Arpan Bhattacharyya, executive director and head of creative, copy (South) at Lowe Lintas, who discusses the creative strategy behind the campaign and how it targets their core customers.
LBB> What was the initial inspiration behind the overarching ‘Necessary, Not Accessory’ campaign?
Arpan> Sunglasses have always been positioned as fashion accessories. But nobody seems to talk about the functional benefits of sunglasses. We gave ourselves a simple, one line brief: reclaim sunglasses from the clutches of vanity. That led us to #NecessaryNotAccessory.
We want the fact that sunglasses have functional benefits to catch on, especially in a hot, predominantly ‘summer’ country such as ours.
LBB> How did the core idea for the spots evolve during the creative process?
Arpan> For the launch campaign, we wanted to highlight the functional benefits of each of the products. We kept that central to the story and then worked on the most interesting, quirky situations that we could think of to highlight why sunglasses were necessary and not just accessories.
#MereExKiShaadi was more a question of the brand seeking to find a niche space for itself in the already crowded wedding fashion market. Again, we kept functionality at the core of the messaging – and then tried to have as much fun as possible.
LBB> Why is a quirky and humorous tone right for the brand?
Arpan> Quirky and humorous possibly best encapsulates the tone that resonates most with the core target audience of Fastrack. They’re fun, young, don’t take themselves too seriously – exactly what the brand has always stood for.
LBB> What have been some of the creative and strategic challenges you have helped the brand overcome?
Arpan> This campaign was a new step for everyone. Not too many fashion/accessory brands want to move towards functional communication. So, it was a leap of faith for the brand team and a big responsibility for us.
LBB> What has been the public's response to the campaign so far?
Arpan> It seems to have worked! The launch campaign won a silver at the Effies last year and we’re very hopeful that #MereExKiShaadi will do well.
LBB> What have you personally loved most about working on this campaign?
Arpan> Everything! The opportunity to work on something like this has been a refreshing change for the whole team. And the Fastrack team has been exceptionally brave, receptive and supportive. So, it’s been a wonderful experience and everyone is looking forward to the next one!
