Assessment Of Raymond Advertisements SUBMITTED TO

Assignment Of Advertising Management

DR R P PATEL

SUBMITTED BY

NISHA DUBEY (15M27)

IV SEMESTER

GHPIBM, SPU, VVN, ANAND

Raymond was one of the first to start organised apparel retail in India. After liberalisation,
textile players were the first to flag off retail chains before any other sector. Raymond, which
started selling suitings over the counter as early as 1958, stepped it up from the eighties on.
Raymond's stores led to its ubiquitous brand recall to this day, observe brand experts. It also
developed a dealer network, with some of its retailers in their third-fourth generations. It now
has an e-commerce portal.

Raymond's retail and readymade drive further, especially in mens corporate and designer
wear. While in the 90s, the market was 30 per cent readymade garments and 70 per cent fabrics,
today it is just the reverse. Raymond calls itself the largest vertically and horizontally
integrated maker of worsted suiting fabric.

Staying close to its 'The Complete Man' umbrella thought, Raymond rolls out two new ads,
one of which subtly flirts with the concept of stay-at-home dads.

For years, fabric manufacturer Raymond has kept its advertising true to its brand statement,
The Complete Man. Each ad released under this umbrella thought explores a different aspect a
man's personality and relationships - be it with his elders, romantic partners or pets. Each ad
ends with the brand's signature tune, accompanied by a voice over that says, "The Complete
Man."

'The Complete Man' for Raymond, a metrosexual,

caring, family man who was very different from the
way men were portrayed in the 70s and 80s. That was
the angry young man era. But the Raymond man was
softer, and every communication created showed the
changes happening around the Alpha male.
Thus the protagonist of Raymond was born
sometimes a caring father, at other times a doting
husband or a sincere friend and, yes, always looking
dapper in a crisply ironed Raymond suit. Some of the
advertising made by Nexus even did away with the
mandatory product shots in the ad and just concentrated
on the man and his qualities.
'The Complete Man' lives on, look at the brand over a
decade's horizon and still be relevant.
"When we took over the advertising, the man was at the
centre of all ads, the focus from clothes had moved.
That was something missing." Thus the line 'Feels like
Heaven...Feels like Raymond' was added to Raymond
ads.
1950- Early 1990s Raymond Man
During its early stages, the brand advertisement focused on mens focus on higher end,
upwardly mobile market. The advertisements were trying to connect with the aspirations of the
youth then. In 1970s the strategy was changed to connect with the common man of
the country. But both these efforts did not give the desired result for the premium brand.
It was the advertisement that was created as a guide to well-dressed man gave the spotty
attention for Raymond. It can be said that the advertisements that were released between 1980-
1990 sparked the essence of The Complete Man. The advertisement with tag line In life lighter
moments which features a well-dressed man who surprises his wife with tickets to concert
really has some essence of The Complete Man.
Birth of The Complete Man
It was in 1992, the brand felt that they need to portray a different man from what they have
showcased so far. This is because the new generation men were soft, caring and sensible, while
the ads portrayed men of angry young man era. Rajiv Agarwal of Nexus Equity took up the
challenge and thus the protagonist The Complete Man was born. The ads portrayed the man
as more caring, family man and softer. They sometimes appeared as caring father and
sometimes as a caring husband in a Raymond suit.
When the ad reached Shekhar Swamy, the CEO of RK Swamy BBDO in 2002, he felt that the
ad was centred on the man only and the focus on the suit was gone and so he added the lines
Feels like HeavenFeels like Raymond.

What made Raymond ads special?

What connects the consumers to this 87 year old brands The Complete Man ad is the emotions
and relations. Even though the ads gives a feeling that it is for Upper middle class people, the
ad succeeded in connecting with consumers across all economic social strata. This is because
the feelings and emotions of caring, family man and relation are same for all people.
The notable feature of the ad is the jingles that have been playing for the brand since 90s.
Sometimes images or a catchy music speak more than words. The soothing tune and absence of
words have enabled them to connect to local TV consumers.
Raymond which has been in the advertising world since 1950s has never endorsed celebrities.
They have tried to keep the communication same and freshness in every new ads. The latest ad
that portrays the relationship of a son and mother has got the same freshness as the ad that pays
tribute to the teacher by his former students in a marriage ceremony.
Now what remains to be seen is that how Raymond would distinguish itself from other brands
that have followed the footpath of The Complete Man and bring back the lost dignity.
Keeping the tradition alive, Raymond has released many commercials.

One ad is titled 'Letting Go'; it captures the emotions of a middle aged father towards his
adolescent daughter. The film tries to capture that fateful moment when he is faced with the
reality that someday he has to let go of daddy's little girl, who will inevitably be lured into the
big bad world by her age-mates.

The second film, titled 'Being There', features a young, working couple, who are also parents
to a little baby. In the ad, the husband volunteers to stay home and take care of their baby so
that his wife can meet her professional commitments.
The new thematic brand film, with its refreshing insight builds relevance for 'The Complete
Man' in today's context. These two ads are more progressive and contemporary than what we
have seen earlier.

For most Indian fathers, he explains, "letting go" of their daughters is synonymous with
marriage. "But today's 13-14-year old daughters are more independent than they used to be,
and The Complete Man is one who understands," he says, adding, "This film wouldn't have
worked 10 years ago. It's for today's 'Evolved Complete Man'."

About the husband-wife film in particular, the unique situation of the husband deciding to stay
at home while the wife goes to work, is relevant today and wouldn't work for our older
generation.

Besides TV, the media mix of the campaign includes cinema, digital, print and outdoor
channels.

Raymond recently launched its official online store RaymondNext.com. Recall that the Aditya
Birla Nuvo-run Madura Fashion and Lifestyle (a competitor of Raymond) launched its e-
commerce store Trendin.com last year.

It was cool to be a brand that's ahead of its times, and showcase the softer side of masculinity.
But not anymore," he opines, going on to suggest that Raymond would do well to portray men
as "instinctive, playful and fun," just the way it did in its 'Sangeet' TVC, in which a man is
shown brightening up a celebratory gathering by playing some spunky music and dancing with
a woman who, it turns out, is his wife, and mother of their four year old child.
"When we took over the advertising, the man was at the centre of all ads, the focus from clothes
had moved. That was something missing." Thus the line 'Feels like Heaven...Feels like
Raymond' was added to Raymond ads. The fundamental idea was anchored in a basic human
truth that a man values his family so there was no need to change that at all.
The ad shows a tender interaction between a mother and son. In this ad the Raymond salutes
single mothers on the fathers day.

Besides the man, another constant in all Raymond ads since the 90s has been the signature tune
playing in the background. The absence of spoken words in the ad makes it easier for adaption
to local TV channels without translation.

The milieu for every Raymond ad is upper middle class. But despite its premium imagery
Raymond has patrons across all social economic strata. They have always taken care to not
showcase Raymond as an elitist brand. Emotions and relations are the same across people and
that is why the ads connect well.
The complete Man suit, Raymond always has found their position in mens wardrobe not only
in India but also across 55 countries including US, Canada, Japan, UK and Australia. When
Singhanias opened the exclusive retail showroom for Raymond suits at Ballard Estate
in Bombayin 1948, it created history being the first brand to start counter sales of suiting.
Today the brand can boast of 650 exclusive The Raymond Shops and availability of suit over
20,000 multi brand outlets. Even though there are new players in the market, The Complete
Man Raymond sits on the top of Rs 1600 crore textiles market.
Over the years, the brand have evolved with a series of product ranges, they have always made
it a point to cater to the different faces of their slogan The Complete Man- who is caring and
sensitive and who gives premium feeling for relationship. This is also evident in their
advertisements also. With new products, their advertisement has also evolved with time, but in
all their advertisements they sent their message of The Complete Man. The ads always gave
the dignity feeling to the suit.

These are the campaigns used by Raymond in their ads over the years:-
Special occasion called life
Mans oldest institution celebrated with Raymond
Trouser fabrics for every mood Raymond
What you wear
There are many ways of being a complete man, what you wear is just one of them
There are many things that you need/owe to be a complete man, what you wear is just
one of them
Friendship celebrated with Raymond
Memories celebrated with Raymond
Indias first too stretched fabric
Raymond linen 100% pure
Fine fabrics
The perfect fit is not found its tailored
Catching the finest in the world
Khaas palo se buney huey rishtey
Making moments to cherish
Crafts meets sciencenow for your entire wardrobe. Raymond made to measure
Raymond the complete man
Raymond Homes where stories come alive
Technosmart worlds smartest fabric
Linen100% pure
Saluting mothers this fathers day
Experience purity experience linen
Look good feel good do good with gonj
Raymond whites
Letting Go
Being there

Apart from all these campaigns, many other ads are present a few of them are attached here in
the Raymond TVC folder and Raymond Print Folder respectively.
Innovation with gauging the nerves of society in a very sophisticated and polite manner is being
the art of Raymond ads. And it makes itself a brand of its own way. Simple subtle and decent
ads that touches ones heart and soul.