Ramraj Cotton, a standard ethnic put on model, launched a brand new marketing campaign that includes Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan and gamers from the Chennaiyin FC soccer group final week. Concentrating on the North Indian market, the advert movie presents the dhoti as an outfit that instructions respect. The advert calls the common-or-garden outfit “desh ki pehchan”.
Within the TVC, Bachchan arrives at a good friend’s get together sporting a Ramraj Cotton dhoti and shirt. Friends playfully tease him about his South Indian apparel, linking it to his possession of Chennaiyin FC.
Responding by means of a music, he explains that custom transcends areas, serving as a unifying thread in India’s cultural range. He highlights how Chennaiyin FC’s gamers come from varied cities, simply because the dhoti displays India’s collective heritage, with every state including its distinctive contact to this garment.
“Paon samman bada, pehenke dhoti…” (Earn respect by sporting a dhoti) says the music’s lyrics. This theme of incomes respect within the conventional apparel is the 42-year-old model’s all pervasive message and has been oft-repeated over the past twenty years.
It began with the ‘Salute Ramraj’ marketing campaign in 2004. It featured movie stars together with Malayalam actor Jayaram, industrialists, and influential males stepping out of glossy automobiles at five-star lodges, banks, and different outstanding places—all wearing dhotis. They have been well saluted by safety guards and receptionists. This was founder and chairman KR Nagarajan’s inventive manner of asserting that the dhoti instructions respect and dignity. The inception of this marketing campaign relies on his private expertise.
Primarily based in Tiruppur, he launched Ramraj Cotton in 1983. Within the Eighties, Tiruppur had 300-400 firms manufacturing veshtis, however most shut down, together with the one he labored for, as the recognition of the outfit declined. He took an opportunity on what was thought-about unsellable.
“We launched high quality the place none existed. Initially, we offered in small outlets like Khadi Bhandars and textile retailers, steadily increasing to all sorts of shops. 12 months after yr, gross sales grew by 30-40%,” he says.
Nonetheless, he seen that the veshti lacked the respect accorded to pant-shirt apparel. As soon as, whereas attending a perform at a five-star lodge, he was denied entry as he was wearing a ‘veshti’, whereas others in pant-shirts have been allowed. That humiliation made him realise that regardless of how excessive the standard or worth, the veshti wouldn’t acquire mass attraction with out societal respect. That led to the ‘Salute Ramraj’ marketing campaign and since then, the model has constantly used celebrities in all its campaigns.
“In outdated motion pictures, revered stars wore Western garments, whereas veshtis have been related to the working class, farmers, and villagers. This created a stereotype of conventional apparel being outdated and inferior. My imaginative and prescient was to shatter this notion. At present, I’m proud to say that veshtis are revered and could be worn anyplace with satisfaction. What started as a private humiliation turned a mission to raise the standing of this conventional outfit,” he says.
According to its goal to advertise conventional Indian apparel, the model has expanded from veshtis to youngsters and ladies’s clothes. During the last two to 3 years, it has promoted itself with the tagline “Tradition of India” evolving past veshtis and white apparel to symbolize all Indian traditions. That is mirrored within the newest marketing campaign as nicely.
In 2012, it launched the youngsters’ section, Little Stars, catering to all age teams, together with newborns. The concept got here when his grandson wore a veshti for the primary time at six months for his first meal ceremony.
Nonetheless, getting the youth to undertake veshtis was a problem. Throughout college visitor lectures, college students advised him they averted veshtis as a result of lack of pockets and problem conserving them in place. This suggestions led the model to develop veshtis with velcro and pockets, which have been shortly embraced. Whereas white veshtis historically attraction to males over 35, youth and youngsters favor vibrant, colourful designs. To fulfill this demand, it launched colourful ranges for the youthful viewers, making certain veshtis resonate with each era.
“At present, college students greet me in veshtis throughout these visits, proving they have been open to the concept when introduced thoughtfully.”
KR Nagarajan, founder and chairman, Ramraj Cotton
Aside from making the veshti an emblem of respect and recognition, the model’s different goal is the welfare of the weavers. Nagarajan says he began this enterprise to assist them after seeing their dire plight, initially serving to 50 households and now supporting 50,000 households.
At present, as different manufacturers, together with Manyavar, enter the dhoti section, Nagarajan says he doesn’t see these different manufacturers as rivals, however merely as followers, as no one can match his worth and high quality. Over time, the model has turn into synonymous with dhotis and veshtis and holds an 80% market share within the class throughout South India. He says in contrast to these manufacturers centered on revenue and loss, his precedence is the welfare of his weavers.
“I’m not a business businessman; I’m a trustee of an establishment. Whereas revenue isn’t unsuitable, my path is totally different. Ramraj Cotton is greater than a enterprise—it’s an establishment devoted to preserving custom and supporting livelihoods.”
KR Nagarajan, founder and chairman, Ramraj Cotton
Nagarajan proudly declares that Ramraj didn’t enter the veshti enterprise for revenue. If that have been the purpose, he might have pursued the extra profitable export enterprise from Tiruppur. His goal was to make sure individuals round him might afford three meals a day.
This goal is mirrored in every thing the model does. Throughout COVID, when weavers confronted an absence of labor and sari gross sales plummeted, they sought his assist. Whereas he couldn’t promote saris, his elder daughter stepped up, saying she would create a model for saris to revive the tradition of sporting them. That led to the start of the ladies’s line Ramyyam.
The newest 360° marketing campaign is the model’s first advertising effort to advertise itself within the northern markets. Over the previous two to 3 years, it has entered markets like Maharashtra, Odisha, MP, Gujarat, and UP.
“We’ve established a powerful presence throughout South India, from small villages to metro cities. Within the North, nevertheless, we’ve centered solely on metro cities and solely just lately started direct advertising efforts. Having studied the market throughout this time, we see it as shifting from kindergarten to the primary grade in our development journey,” says Nagarajan.
Nagarajan says the model selected Bachchan as its model ambassador to market its merchandise in North India for his alignment with its cultural and conventional ethos.
“Hailing from a standard household, because the son of Amitabh Bachchan and grandson of famend poet, Harivansh Bai Bachchan, he embodies cultural and moral values,” he says.
The model was in talks with him for over a yr. Nagarajan says it wasn’t simply business discussions. The model shared its mission and impressed by its goal, he gladly accepted to symbolize the model.
Furthermore, Bachchan is among the homeowners of Chennayin FC. In August 2024, Ramraj partnered with the Indian Tremendous League franchise as its presenting sponsor.
Within the South, it has collaborated with outstanding stars as model ambassadors: Jayaram for Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Daggubati Venkatesh for Andhra, and Rishab Shetty for Karnataka.
“We’ve successfully utilised main South Indian celebrities for these markets. With Abhishek Bachchan, nevertheless, we see a possibility to go pan-India. His youthful attraction and versatile presence resonate with each North and South audiences. Furthermore, dhotis are worn in varied methods throughout India, and his persona uniquely enhances the garment,” he provides.
(With further inputs from Venkata Susmita Biswas.)
Written with the View : afaqs