An Arrow for those who know

Japanese etiquette and French bistros, Arrow chooses an international look to reach out to a contemporary young audience

Arrow has been in India for about 15 years now. A premium apparel line for a stylish and eloquent audience, its latest campaign talks to the true sophisticate. Arrow is not known to have had a television commercial ever, and in keeping with the times, the campaign, ‘When you know’, too, is not likely to have a television commercial.

Created by Alok Nanda and Co. (ANC), the five print ads have a very international look to them. Targeted at the SEC A male, the campaign follows the thought that true sophisticates are those who appreciate what is right, who know how to dress in different cultures and who hunt for the right collectibles. The ad shows an executive sitting cross-legged in his business attire, in keeping with Japanese sensibilities. This is to indicate that a true sophisticate bears in mind the culture in which he is interacting. Another print ad, in a French locale, shows the executive sitting in a bistro, indicating that he is much more than an ordinary tourist.

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The tagline, ‘When you know’, depicts the exposure to the world that the sophisticate has had in his life. “This person does things for himself and not for others,” explains Alok Nanda, chief executive officer, ANC. Though it is one of the first international brands to enter the Indian market, Arrow has chosen to keep the look of the ad very international. Nanda says, “It is a global brand with American roots and it caters to the international Indian.” Seconding that opinion, Shivaraj Subramanium, head of marketing, Arrow, says, “In terms of its mindset, the Indian audience is an international audience.”

Arrow has always been a brand that identifies with a much experienced and business like persona, yet this campaign is very contemporary and aimed at a younger audience aged 25-35 years. Subramanium says, “The brand has always been contemporary and relevant to the times. It’s the familiarity that has made it older.”

The campaign was shot in Cape Town, South Africa, and it was much like shooting a film, says Nanda. The detailing that went into creating a Japanese, French and tropical beach ambience was looked into by Dubai based photographer Tejal Patni. Art director Prashant Kanyalkar and copywriter Ajoy Advani worked on the campaign.

The campaign will stick to the print media. A TVC or radio spot is highly unlikely.

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