Body positivity takes centre stage as Zivame pushes for an omnichannel identity

Khatija Lokhandwala, head of brand marketing at Zivame, shares the challenges of executing such a move.

“Confidence is essential in all aspects of our lives, and every woman, regardless of her body shape and size, deserves to feel cherished and appreciated every single day.” With this powerful realisation, Zivame has just launched a campaign.

As a part of its ‘True Curv’ range, the leading women’s intimate wear brand has launched ‘Har Pal Ko Own Karo’ (Own every moment), which is inspired by its positioning of ‘Wear Your Confidence’.

Zivame launched the True Curv range in 2016, with one of the most asked questions - Who is True Curv for? The range was launched keeping broad/lean body frames, bust sizes and saggy breast profiles, in mind.

The brand identified several challenges with curvier breast profiles, and has been trying to address them via its campaigns. Earlier, Zivame’s campaigns featured diversity in age groups and body types. This time around, the brand wanted to go beyond that and focus on just curves.

The latest ad shows, in a light-hearted way, the prevailing trend of celebrating only a specific body type and size, and neglecting the diverse range of shapes and sizes. The campaign, a powerful message on inclusivity, features a confident and charming curvy woman, who effortlessly navigates various every day scenarios.

The film, designed by Leo Burnett, shows the woman in an art gallery, where every single portrait, sculpture and painting is of a slim woman. This only shows the artist’s narrow view.

From encountering exclusive mannequins to engaging in funny conversations about her curves with a new roommate and gym buddy, the film showcases how she conquers life’s challenges with her charm and unwavering confidence that comes from the right intimate wear by her side.

Speaking about the insights behind the campaign, Khatija Lokhandwala, head of brand marketing at Zivame, says, “When the world looks at a woman or celebrates her, it keeps a very particular body type and size in mind. While forgetting that Indian women come in a vast variety of shapes and sizes.”

“This campaign calls out this lack of inclusivity. It amplifies our commitment to inclusivity and body positivity, and reinforces the belief that every woman, regardless of her shape or size, deserves to feel celebrated and valued every day.”

The importance of plus size market has been increasingly acknowledged by brands over the last few years. While on one hand, we see plus size models/influencers trending on social media, on the other, portraying a plus size woman on the big screen still seems to generate quite a bit of conversation in India.

Lokhandwala points out, “Whenever you see a curvy woman on screen, you will generally see her making fun of herself or having a quick laugh at her own expense. We didn’t want to do that. We wanted to be conscious of the fact that we didn’t want to go into a self-deprecating zone.”

“We wanted to show a woman who is able to call out the world, and who will have a good laugh without feeling sorry for herself. She won’t feel bad about how the world looks at her. That’s what makes the campaign stand apart.”

According to Lokhandwala, the mindset of Indian consumers has changed over the last few years, especially in the urban market. They see a plus-size model just like any other model.

“Agencies, production houses, directors, etc., have to be careful while working on a campaign like this. It can’t look obscene. We have handled all these challenges from a consumer point of view.”

The campaign is digital-led and will be run across all social media and digital channels.

Zivame has also launched an OOH campaign - #MeetYourRightFit - to encourage women to find the right lingerie fit for themselves. It highlights the adverse impacts of, and discomfort caused by, wearing ill-fitting bras. Powerful headlines like ‘Why endure betrayal, tolerate discomfort, and feel restricted?’ are prominently displayed on strategically positioned billboards.

Founded in 2011, Zivame was initially launched online. Today, it has around 160 retail stores and 5,000-plus partner stores across India. Currently, the brand gets 80% sales from its online channels and 20% from offline space.

“Our focus is to become an omnichannel player. We are not going to be prioritising one channel at a time. We are going to continue to strengthen our presence in the online space as well as expand in the offline market,” shares Lokhandwala.