I had put together this simple 2×2 for marketers looking for edgy causes to attach their brands to back in 2014. As you can see same-sex marriage tops the list and the Anouk Myntra ad has used this platform to sell their clothes.
Marketers are in the business of storytelling, and will use any material to do get attention for their brands. On the positive side it raises awareness for lesbian relationships, which are still illegal in India, and adds its mite to the cause of recognising gay marriages. On the other hand, it is unclear how this helps position the brand – the tagline is “bold is beautiful” but the outfits themselves appear to be traditional. And just like an hetero couple they are seeking the parents’ approval. I like the use of Tamil in the ad – having suffered blasts of Hinglish for decades this is a refreshing relief. (No comments on the accent.)
The bigger story here is an etailer like Myntra launching a ‘house brand’ and building it out like a proper brand. This will place brands from other firms at a disadvantage eventually. Yes, supermarkets have done this for years, but in their case they could only fiddle with pricing and shelf placement – here the marketplace owner has many more variables to control in favour of their brand.
If I were the owner of a powerful garment brand I’d rush to (a) build out my own ecommerce channel (b) build partnerships with pure marketplaces that don’t retail their own stuff.
2019 Update: Many of the incumbent garment retailers have chosen to sell directly as well as through channels such as Amazon. Walmart plans to sell Anouk by Myntra globally as well. However the brand campaign seems to have petered out.
