“A visually impaired photographer has proven that true beauty lies beyond what the eye can see”: George Koshy, HUL

Ditching the bath tub, Lux ropes in a visually challenged photographer to capture Bollywood diva Katrina Kaif in its latest campaign 'Perfume Portraits'.

Can a fragrance remind you of someone? Yes, it certainly can. Lux, the iconic brand from Hindustan Unilever (HUL) surprises consumers in its latest digital campaign 'Perfume Portraits', which promotes the perfume-infused range of body washes.

Breaking the standard visual imagery of the Lux ad, the campaign executed by JWT features a gifted, visually impaired photographer Bhavesh Patel, whose monologue opens the film. "Beauty exudes from a woman's confidence and her laugh...," he says, as the camera pans on the beautiful actress Katrina Kaif, who is busy getting ready for a photo shoot in a signature purple gown. As she walks on the set, Patel continues describing how her aura and fragrance overwhelmed him, as he starts clicking the actress.

"With every photograph I took, her fragrance formed a vision in my mind," he says, and here it is revealed that Patel is visually impaired. The film ends by showcasing Kaif's pictures clicked by Patel, accompanied by the tagline 'Discover the power of fragrance.'

George Koshy, category head - Personal Wash, HUL, says that they have tried something 'different' this time with the brand campaign, dubbing it as a multi-dimensional approach to beauty transcending the physical aspect.

"The objective is to land Lux's fragrance proposition with the film and portray how fine fragrance can communicate a woman's beauty and confidence, even without sight. We want to show the feelings it evokes and images it conjures in the mind's eye, when you smell a fabulous scent," he explains.

Lux has also shifted focus from the 'Lux star' (leading ladies of cinema) to a photographer, in this campaign.

"Yes, we have tried something different this time," admits Koshy, adding that the ad proves "without a doubt that true beauty lies beyond what the eye can see."

The campaign promotes Lux Body Wash Fine Fragrance variants, launched in January this year. According to the company, Lux Magical Spell Body Wash - which has the fragrance pearls of Black Orchids and Juniper Oil - and Lux Scarlet Blossom Body Wash - which has the fragrance pearls of Egyptian Violet & Elemi Oil - will be the most popular SKUs in this range. These two variants are infused with perfume that last up to eight hours after taking a shower.

Sunhil Sippy, who directed the campaign in two days, believes that 'Perfume Portraits' brought together two different worlds - one of celebrity and one of reality.

"While I did set up certain shots to convey the emotional elements, the approach was to capture things as they took place naturally. The editing itself was an inspired process. I selected shots intuitively, eventually ending up with a film that was not only beautiful to watch, but also told the story of fragrance and beauty effectively, and in a way that reflects the spirit of Lux as well," he recalls.

Since 1925, Lux has been touted as the beauty secret of some of the most glamorous stars - from Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe to Shu Qi and Aishwarya Rai.

Disruptive Effort

According to branding consultant Cajetan Vaz, the fragrance story is well portrayed by an interesting creative execution. "The use of a blind photographer is disruptive," he says, adding that while the proposition of 'new fragrance' is well addressed, it does not add to the brand equity.

"Vivel could do the same proposition and diffuse the mind of the consumer. Lux needs serious brand reinvention," Vaz states. "The current film is nice, but nice is the enemy of good. And good is the enemy of great," he adds.

He suggests a serious rebranding for Lux which always has been a 'film star's soap' - a redundant proposition now usurped by other brands like Vivel.

"Nose is king in this commercial," says Prathap Suthan, managing partner and chief creative officer, Bang in the Middle, pointing out that this is a new look at this category, especially for soaps, not to say that Dove hasn't broken the mould a while ago.

Suthan believes that, within India, most soaps, especially Lux, have been far more traditional with their films and have been set and cast within global formats and product windows.

"I like the change and direction that I suspect Lux is moving into. A perfume stance more than soap," he notes. The idea, Suthan points out, stems from the insight that, in the contemporary world, the olfactory effect that the consumer leaves behind on those around them has become far more important.

"The idea of using a blind photographer definitely comes in from this perspective. It is a brave effort and stands out. And, it takes a bit of thinking to connect the dots," he adds, wondering if it would have been less insensitive if a regular photographer shot the campaign with a blindfold.