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Tag: Diesel

  • “At Diesel, we are committed to innovation and pushing the boundaries of the conventional”: Johnson Verghese

    “At Diesel, we are committed to innovation and pushing the boundaries of the conventional”: Johnson Verghese

    Mumbai: Diesel brought together the worlds of horology and hip-hop this week at a thrilling launch event for their new collection of timepieces. Held at Mumbai’s Jio World Drive, the launch featured India’s leading singer and pop star King, who unveiled Diesel’s Vert Collection alongside Fossil Group – India managing director Johnson Verghese. A first-of-its-kind range of timepieces by Diesel, the Vert Collection has been crafted using a new wave of VR technology that bridges the gap between the physical and digital worlds. The exclusive event was a glamorous affair, attended by a number of prominent influencers and leading press outlets, reaffirming Diesel’s status as a trendsetter in the industry.

    The launch event itself was a spectacle of design and technology, featuring a captivating launch film and a showcase of the Vert Collection in all its glory. The brand further set up a striking 3D visual display of the Vert Collection within the mall, for attendees to admire up close. Diesel chose to partner with King, one of India’s most popular pop stars, to celebrate the futuristic aesthetic and transformative design of the Vert Collection and bring this fusion of elements to the public.

    Verghese began the evening by sharing the story and design journey behind the eagerly awaited Vert Collection; before being joined by King to present the launch movie that gave the public their first ever look at the Vert Collection. This was followed by a press conference and an in-person unboxing and reveal of the Vert range of watches.

    Indiantelevision.com on the sidelines of the launch of the event, caught up with Verghese where he discussed on the idea of this launch, collaboration and more…..

    Edited excerpts

    On the idea behind launching this product as many brands have not yet explored the metaverse universe

    As new technology emerges in the spaces of virtual reality and artificial intelligence, it opens up new frontiers for the evolution of timepiece design. At Diesel, we are committed to innovation and pushing the boundaries of the conventional; and our vision for the Vert Collection was to create a future-forward timepiece that bridges the gap between the virtual and physical worlds. We accomplished this by utilising a first-of-its-kind VR technology to create an immersive aesthetic inspired by Diesel Creative Director, Glenn Martens, for this collection. We took a game-like approach to designing the Vert – as exemplified in the futuristic visuals seen in our launch film as well as the distinctiveness of the watches themselves. With this design, we have captured the look of a virtual timepiece in the physical world. We have also further created ‘Metamorph,’ a complete virtual reality world centred around the Vert collection which allows us to offer our consumers a greater immersive experience – featuring a specially curated playable VR adventure and a virtual concert by renowned artist Lil Dre. Thus, our expansion in the VR space has allowed us to accomplish our goal of innovating on a massive scale, and creating a product that excites our consumers.

    On the strategy to associate with King for this collection launch

    King is an artist who stands for free-flowing self expression and is known for forging his own path to success in the world of music. His music brings together the elements of pop and hip hop music to create unique medleys that are loved by fans across the country. This led us to identify King as the perfect personality to introduce the Vert Collection, which similarly pushes the frontiers across the virtual and physical worlds. As the worlds of fashion and music continue to get ever closer in the modern world today, our partnership with King for this launch stands for our shared commitment to pushing the boundaries beyond the conventional to achieve the extraordinary.

    On crafting the entire product with VR technology and collaboration with tech artists

    Virtual Reality forms the foundation of the design approach to the Vert Collection. VR design is already transforming the world of fashion, and we wanted to embrace this evolution with a future-first creation that incorporates this new generational approach to design. Thus, we took to creating the Vert with one step in both the physical and virtual worlds. It’s one of several styles from the new forward-thinking Metamorph collection that’s entirely conceptualised and created from a technologically immersive virtual reality experience with a game-like approach. Here, the flexibility of dreaming of a modern approach to design looks like armour unfolding on the wrist, a disruptive, hard-shelled appearance that’s mutually organic and futuristic.

    On the amount of influencers present during the launch venue and the role of influencer marketing in the coming next few years

    Influencer marketing remains a key component of our outreach strategy, to connect with the organic micro communities of consumers over their shared interests and preferences. We value the authenticity and personal touch that influencers bring to connecting a brand to its audience, and we expect it to remain relevant in our planned collaborations and partnerships over the coming years. We believe that closer content partnerships and organic collaborations are the way forward for influencer marketing, where brands and influencers come together for exclusive content and partnerships that appeal to their audiences and thus strengthen the unique value proposition of the influencer channels.

  • Diesel partners with King to unveil Vert watches, designed in virtual reality

    Diesel partners with King to unveil Vert watches, designed in virtual reality

    Mumbai: Renowned fashion and lifestyle brand Diesel brought together the worlds of horology and hip-hop this week at a thrilling launch event for their new collection of timepieces. Held at Mumbai’s Jio World Drive, the launch featured India’s leading singer and pop star King, who unveiled Diesel’s Vert Collection alongside the managing director of Fossil Group – India, Johnson Verghese. A first-of-its-kind range of timepieces by Diesel, the Vert Collection has been crafted using a new wave of VR technology that bridges the gap between the physical and digital worlds. The exclusive event was a glamorous affair, attended by a number of prominent influencers and leading press outlets, reaffirming Diesel’s status as a trendsetter in the industry.

    The launch event itself was a spectacle of design and technology, featuring a captivating launch film and a showcase of the Vert Collection in all its glory. The brand further set up a striking 3D visual display of the Vert Collection within the mall, for attendees to admire up close. Diesel chose to partner with King, one of India’s most popular pop stars, to celebrate the futuristic aesthetic and transformative design of the Vert Collection and bring this fusion of elements to the public.

    Mr. Verghese began the evening by sharing the story and design journey behind the eagerly awaited Vert Collection; before being joined by King to present the launch movie that gave the public their first-ever look at the Vert Collection. This was followed by a press conference and an in-person unboxing and reveal of the Vert range of watches.

    Fossil Group – India managing director Johnson Verghese said, “The Vert Collection is a testament to Diesel’s commitment to innovation at the most fundamental level. Our timepieces are an expression of individuality, and the creative process behind the Vert Collection aims to let wearers make a unique statement about their personal style. A first-of-its-kind VR technology was employed to create an immersive aesthetic inspired by Diesel Creative Director, Glenn Martens, for this collection, giving it a futuristic look that still seamlessly complements the ensemble of the modern man.”

    King singer and pop star said, “I’ve always believed that style is a powerful form of self-expression, just like music. The Diesel Vert Collection is a series that showcases a new level of craftsmanship with its VR design technology. The daring and futuristic look of this collection is something I relate to and appreciate on a personal level, with its gutsy and unapologetic design. The Vert Collection perfectly complements my style, and I’m proud to partner with Diesel to bring their new design approach to the world.”

    The new Vert watch bridges the gap between the physical and digital worlds and is a first-of-its-kind for Diesel. It’s one of several styles from the new forward-thinking Metamorph collection that’s entirely conceptualised and created from a technologically immersive virtual reality experience with a game-like approach. Here, the flexibility of dreaming of a modern approach to design looks like armour unfolding on the wrist, a disruptive, hard-shelled appearance that’s mutually organic and futuristic. The entire composition is crafted using a new wave of VR technology where virtually everything looks “organically” different.

    With a case size of 44 mm, the watches are available in three colour options – black, gold and silver, and they come with a stainless steel strap bracelet and three-hand date movement. There’s also a limited edition exclusive (DZ2183)—only 700 units available worldwide—and it features contrasting leather black inlay accents along this dynamic design’s inner core and clips. The range begins at Rs 27,995.

    Alongside the collection launch, Diesel invites both Vert holders and all fans globally to experience an immersive, multi-layered, game-like experience—Metamorph. Developed in partnership with the visionary media-tech artists from Artificial Rome, the project further strengthens Diesel’s position as a Web3 pioneer and expert in connecting creativity with culture. The Metamorph virtual world is shaped by Vert design details with breathtaking scenery and a sprawling environment where visitors will move through various challenges with their A:VERT: AR (avatar) to reactivate time in a fictional land where time has stopped. The experience culminates in a virtual concert celebration with artist Lil Dre at the completion of the quests.

  • Future of influencer marketing

    Future of influencer marketing

    Influencer marketing is set to become a $10 billion market by 2020 – with recent reports revealing that 63 per cent of marketers intend to increase their influencer marketing spends this year. It would be correct to say that influencer marketing is here to stay – there’s a phenomenal 1500 per cent increase in searches for “influencer marketing” over the last 3 years. 

    Influencer marketing is rapidly changing with new trends & technologies. Brands across categories are now utilising influencers as a tangible marketing & distribution channel, from a FMCG major such as Marico to retail giant such as Bata – brands are transforming themselves, keeping influencer integrated into their strategy. 

    Here are a few key trends shaping the market: 

    Growing significance of micro-influencers:

    Brands have come to realise that in the current digital age, advocacy works better than mass-appeal. We are witnessing emphasis on micro-influencers. Brands are able to tie-in authenticity to their campaigns, using micro influencers, since it doesn’t come across as salesy. This is being adopted rapidly as a practice, with brands across industries & categories constantly scaling their micro-influencer marketing spends.

    Network approach vs talent-led approach:

    At the dawn of influencer marketing, brands were more focussed on utilising the individual brands of influencers – presenting them as the face of the brand, frequent integrations in marketing collaterals, etc. As the market matures, brands are now taking a network-based approach and de-risking themselves by using a network/group of influencers, with whom they are collectively able to target consumers better, than a single large influencer. It also allows brands to localise the content & collaterals – say when launching a new product in Hyderabad,

    Rise of CGI Influencers:

    With the rapid advancement in technologies accessible to us, CGI influencers are becoming mainstream. Take Miquela for instance, she boasts of 1.6M+ followers, has endorsed luxury brands such as Calvin Klein, Diesel, and Prada – her engagement rate is quite impressive for a Category A influencer, currently tracking at 3.4% : the out-of-ordinary fact about Lil Miquela is that she isn’t made up of tissues & cells, instead, it is just lines of code. K-pop sensation Imma, Bermuda, etc. are all CGI influencers, making a big name for themselves.

    Advocacy vs transactional collaborations:

    Brands are adopting the shift in collaborations from transaction-based, to long-term advocacy arrangements. Studies conducted to compare the 2 models deliver quite convincing results – using advocates instead of an influencer (on a transactional basis) improves consumer trust in the campaign by as much as 5 times. Influencers who are genuinely interested and invested in the brand help craft a compelling story, as opposed to just another ad splash! Brands also benefit commercially, as the cost per deliverable goes down in case of long-term arrangements.

    Stricter guidelines for influencer marketing:

    As influencer marketing becomes more mainstream, with more marketing dollars being pumped into campaigns led by influencers, we will witness the regulatory bodies becoming stricter & actively participating in defining the playing field for influencers, through advertising codes & rules, with the end objective of safeguarding consumers.

    Birth of nano-influencers:

    Within the last year, we have seen the birth of “nano-influencer”, a tier below micro & macro in terms of follower size (less than 5K followers) but higher than any category in terms of engagement and intensity of influencer, per follower. In many cases, nano-influencers have a cult-like following, in the limited audience community they have : for a new brand just launching, this comes across as the perfect way to go about marketing, since they not only help spread the word, but allow brands access to sample set of end-consumers, with whom they can experiment & get feedback.

    Increased importance of Video:

    With digitisation happening at a rapid pace, along with advancements in internet technologies, consumption of content by the users has changed. It is gradually tilting towards higher video consumption – Mary Meeker, in her 2019 Internet Trends Report, re-iterated this trend mentioning that brands who leverage videos ads properly, will win-big. A good video ad shouldn’t come across as an ad – this create a large value creation scope for influencer marketing; influencer can craft real, authentic looking video stories for brands & help them distribute it through their channels.

    Being an influencer is now a career option:

    Increasingly, socially active millennials & “Gen Z”-ers are making careers in the domain of influencer marketing. What was earlier restricted to only ‘good-to-have’ branding efforts is now becoming mainstream in facilitating commerce; China already has influencers who sell products worth millions of dollars in a single day , India is slowly catching up to that trend. The study of how to become an influencer, ways to leverage content, content production techniques, etc. are all going to be very relevant & important in the time to come, as influencer marketing becomes a tangible marketing channel, something that’s concrete & here to stay! 

    (the author is One Impression vice president. The views expressed are his own and Indian television.com may not subscribe to them)

  • Diesel takes wearables to new heights by introducing next generation touchscreen smartwatch

    Diesel takes wearables to new heights by introducing next generation touchscreen smartwatch

    MUMBAI: Diesel pushes its wearable technology to the limits with the launch of the brand’s premium Full Guard 2.5 touchscreen smartwatch. The next generation smartwatch offers the latest and greatest in wearable technology, including heart rate tracking, NFC payment capabilities, and GPS tracking. Wrapped in Diesel’s signature bold, moto-inspired design, the new smartwatches signal to the world that fading into the crowd is not an option.

    The new Diesel Full Guard 2.5 touchscreen smartwatch, compatible with both iPhone® and Android™ phones, is powered with Wear OS by Google and the Qualcomm® Snapdragon Wear™ 2100 SoC. Diesel has also optimized features including rapid charging, music control, customizable watch faces, and smartphone notifications, in addition to: 

    • Heart Rate Tracking: automatically track your heart rate across multiple types of workouts using Google Fit or third-party apps
    *Tic Health available in China.
    • Payment Technology: make purchases via your NFC-enabled smartwatch using Google Pay 
    *Alipay available in China. Google Pay available in select countries. 
    • GPS Distance Tracking: leave your phone at home when going for a walk, hike, ride, or run with built-in GPS that records the distance right on your smartwatch
    • Assist on the Wrist: ask questions and give commands directly to your smartwatch via Google Assistant 
    *Mobvoi Assistant available in China; Google Assistant available in select languages.
    • Swimproof Technology: shower and swim up to 3 ATM seamlessly through third-party apps 
    • Weather Filters: Display dial effects change based on local weather behavior. As conditions arise, you will be notified via weather animations that appear on the display, like ice, snow, rain, severe thunderstorm and, now, with the addition of cloudy, foggy and humidity

    *Mobvoi Store available in China; Google Play Store available in select countries.

    This new collection features four unique styles: a matte steel case on a black leather strap, a gunmetal steel case on a brown leather strap, a matte black steel case on a black silicone strap and an all-over gunmetal stainless steel case on a three-link bracelet. New and exciting customizable dials include the neon Flicker dial, which changes color automatically throughout the day, and the interactive heart rate dial, which creates a rippling water effect with the tap of a finger. 

    Earlier this month, Diesel announced a new partnership with global superstar DJ and producer, Steve Aoki, who has signed on as the brand’s newest ambassador. Continuing the collaboration through early 2019, Steve will be the face of Diesel’s Full Guard 2.5 touchscreen smartwatch.

    The Diesel Full Guard 2.5 smartwatch will be available in select stores in India by November 2018.

    This watch retails for INR 24,495 onwards.

    Smartwatches built with Wear OS* by Google are compatible with iPhone® and Android™ phones. Wear OS by Google and other related marks are trademarks of Google LLC. Touchscreen smartwatches built with Wear OS by Google require a phone running Android OS 4.4+ (excluding Go edition) or iOS 9.3+. Supported features may vary between platforms.

  • Geometry Global Encompass Network ropes in Aaraadhee Mehta as VP

    Geometry Global Encompass Network ropes in Aaraadhee Mehta as VP

    MUMBAI: Geometry Global India has appointed Aaradhee Mehta as Geometry Global Encompass Network vice president – shopper marketing. She will report into Group COO Rahul Saigal.

     

    With over nine years of shopper marketing experience, Mehta has worked with clients such as Colgate, Mondelez, Reckitt Benckiser, Unilever, ITC Foods and Personal Care, HP, Diageo, Diesel, Steve Madden and Brooks Brothers. 

     

    Prior to specialising in shopper marketing, Mehta worked in agencies such as Lowe, JWT and Bates. 

     

    Mehta said, “I’m excited to lead the shopper marketing practice for the country’s largest experiential marketing agency. I am looking forward to working with clients such as Mondelez and Hindustan Unilever and growing our shopper practice in India.”

     

    Mehta’s appointment comes just weeks after the Geometry Global and Encompass Network launch was announced.