MUMBAI: In her 17 years of employment, Mili Kapoor has worked in various trades, verticals and product categories – as a jeans designer, a retail consultant, as a brand manager on oats, at a spirits company, at a global factual television channel, at a foods giant, at a global social media giant, and at a consumer electronics megacorp.
.Not only did Mili make her career choices such that she could give herself as wide an exposure as she could, she took the same path for her education as well.
She completed her high school in commerce from La Martiniere Girls High School, Kolkata. Then she went to do her fashion design course from NIFT, Delhi. Mili followed that up with an MBA in marketing and strategy from the Indian School of Business. Clearly, she wanted to educate herself to the fullest she could by getting herself certifications in Google, Meta, social marketing, content marketing, and programmatic 101.
That kind of a varied career, colourful background and her go-getting attitude are what excited the out-of-the box-thinking company called Apple to hire her as product marketing lead for the iPad in India.
That Mili is a fast learner is quite obvious. However, she has been a fast riser up the corporate ladder as well. Amongst the companies she then chose to work with include:
VF Corp (designer, Wrangler Jeans, 2007-08); Technopak Advisors (associate consultant, Sep 2008-Apr 2010). PepsiCo (sr brand manager Quaker Dairy, July 2011-Aug 2018), Pernod Ricard (sr mkg mgr, premium portfolio-north zone, Aug 2018-jul 2019); National Geographic Channel (AVP-mktg & brand strategy, July 2019-Nov 2020), Nestle (mktg lead-Purina petcare, Nov 2020-March 2022), Meta (Biz mktg mgr, March2022-Dec 2022), Nestle (mktg head, Nestle Profeesional, Dec 2022-Jul 2023), and Philips (consumer mktg leader, Jul 2023-Oct 2024).
Mumbai: Wrangler has partnered with Social to launch an exclusive co-branded merchandise line. Launched at an event held in Mumbai, this marks SOCIAL’s debut into co-branded merchandise, featuring a limited-edition collection that fuses Wrangler’s style with Social’s cultural influence.
The WranglerX social merchandise collection fuses the essence of both brands into a lively and playful lineup. Inspired by Wrangler’s Western roots—with cowboy and biker elements—and Social’s signature touches, like bracket branding, beer pong and noodle boxes, this collection delivers bold colours and character. With oversized tees and sweatshirts for men and cropped tees for women, each piece blends Wrangler’s adventurous spirit with Social’s vibrant and party-ready style. This is a collection that is young, fun and packed with personality—made for life’s exciting ride.
Sharing his excitement, ace turtle CEO Nitin Chhabra, the exclusive licensee of Wrangler in India said, “This collaboration with SOCIAL is a bold fusion of fashion and urban culture, bringing together two dynamic brands that celebrate self-expression and creativity. With this exclusive merchandise, we’re curating an experience that embodies the pulse of the city and the spirit of adventurous optimism.”
Commenting on this collaboration, Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality Pvt Ltd chief growth officer Divya Aggarwal added, “At SOCIAL, we’re all about creating immersive experiences that connect our communities. Our co-branded merchandise with Wrangler takes this collaboration a step further, blending music, fashion, and culture into a tangible form. Together, we’re offering our guests a unique way to celebrate the adventurous spirit and urban creativity that define both brands.”
Collective Artists Network, India’s leading new media company specializing in talent and pop culture brought the Wrangler X SOCIAL collaboration to life, organizing events at SOCIAL’s outlets across India. Collective Artists Network co-founder & chief revenue officer Sudeep Subash expressed his excitement about the partnership: “By creating events that blend fashion, culture, and community, we’re enabling both brands to authentically connect with their audiences and celebrate individuality. This co-branded collection is not just about style; it’s about making a memorable impact.”
Mumbai: Wrangler has partnered with Mattel Inc’s Hot Wheels for a nostalgia-themed collection featuring denim, jackets, coveralls, and graphic tees for both youth and adults. The Wrangler x Hot Wheels collection also includes a limited-edition Wrangler-branded ’85 Ford Bronco die-cast. Building on the success of their Wrangler x Barbie collaboration in 2023, this new collection showcases motorsport-inspired designs on classic denim and colorful tees.
“Partnering with Hot Wheels has been a collision of heritage and horsepower,” said Kontoor vice president of global marketing, Holly Wheeler. “Tapping into the resurgence of motorsport and inspired by the classic American iconography and nostalgia of both brands, Wrangler x Hot Wheels hits the market at full speed and ignites a beloved pastime shared from generation to generation.”
The collection is available for purchase online and in selected Wrangler and Shoppers Stop stores across India.
Mumbai: Wrangler has announced the launch of its new brand campaign titled “What Shapes You, Makes You”. The campaign features Smriti Mandhana, the vice-captain of the Indian women’s cricket team and one of its most prolific batters.
Wrangler is investing heavily during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 to build greater awareness and consideration among consumers in India. The campaign highlights the enduring relationship between Smriti and her Wrangler denim emphasizing that investing in Wrangler is essentially investing in a part of oneself. Smriti is an adventurous person and is always ready to take risks, make moves and embraces courage which is what Wrangler stands for. The iconic denim brand’s campaign is built around the insight that searching through our old wardrobe makes us feel nostalgic. Occasionally, we find a piece of clothing that immediately reminds us of how far we have come in life. While we may have forgotten it at the back of our wardrobe, we haven’t forgotten how it makes us feel – it’s a conduit that keeps us grounded and in touch with our passions. It’s what shapes us, makes us.
The brand campaign film will run on Disney+Hotstar and digital platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
Commenting on the campaign, ace turtle CEO Nitin Chhabra said, “We are delighted to launch the new brand campaign with Smriti Mandhana for Wrangler during the Men’s Cricket World Cup that coincides with India’s festive season. This campaign marks a new chapter, aiming to inspire individuals, especially the youth, to embrace their unique journey and aspirations, and is a testament to Wrangler’s enduring legacy and its vision for the future. We are confident that the campaign will help to build on Wrangler’s brand equity and help us drive more footfalls at our retail stores and traffic on online channels. We aim to significantly grow Wrangler’s business in India by the end of the current fiscal year.”
Expressing her excitement, Smriti Mandhana said, “My Wrangler journey has been a special one, capturing my growth and experiences. From the denim that’s been with me since my early cricket days to what it represents today, this campaign captures my journey in parallel to the continued legacy of the brand. Wrangler stands for resilience, adaptability and authenticity which are qualities I admire and work towards. I’m excited to share this connection, inspiring others to embrace their unique journeys, both in sports and life.”
Sharing the marketing perspective, ace turtle CMO Lokesh Kataria said, “Our objective is to bring out the association between Wrangler and Smriti Mandhana with an integrated communication approach, driving greater consideration for the brand. The What Shapes You, Makes You campaign becomes our means to show this resilience through a pair of denim that have endured with Smriti Mandhana – being a constant, and shaping her to what she is today. We aim to highlight how investing in a Wrangler is investing in a relationship that becomes an integral part of our consumers, and ultimately defines them. As we unveil this seven-week campaign coinciding with the Cricket World Cup 2023, we delve into a rich backstory of innovation and consumer engagement.”
ace turtle is the exclusive licensee of Wrangler in India and other South Asian markets. It has expanded Wrangler’s physical retail store network across India with 53 stores operational currently and many more in the pipeline. Wrangler is currently available at exclusive brand outlets and leading departmental store chains such as Lifestyle, Shoppers Stop, Pantaloons and Centro among others. The iconic denim brand is also available online at its dedicated webstore www.wrangler.in along with popular online marketplaces such as Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Ajio, Tatacliq and Nykaa.
MUMBAI: Dentsu Aegis Network’s digital agency, Isobar India has collaborated with Wrangler to help the brand launch its latest collection, ‘Stretch Plus’ in India. As part of the launch, the agency has devised and executed a digital media campaign for Wrangler that focusses on engaging followers with the product’s latest feature, ‘Extra Stretch’.
In an age where brands are using banner ads on mobile devices to direct users towards discounts or generate other forms of marketing leads, Isobar India has created an interactive approach to engross consumers by extending the stretch feature of the product on the banner itself. Targeting users on touch devices, the agency asks customers to ‘stretch’ the product on the devise for a surprise offer. Every time they stretch the denim on the mobile banner, an offer pops up that leads them to avail discounts on the collection.
The campaign has already garnered a total impression of 2,618,948 with an Engagement Rate of 1.8 per cent. The number of vouchers/coupons that have been generated until now are 1,147. The same number of new users have also been added to the database. For the record, the campaign has been executed in collaboration with mCanvas Advertising.
Isobar India Vice President Suraj Nagappa says, “Our objective is to nudge the audience and make them experience the stretch feature and drive home the point, albeit in a non-preachy manner. We wanted to appeal to the viewer’s reason, and not just feeling. The brand positioning has witnessed a significant shift to adapt to the evolving consumer behaviour. The Stretch Plus campaign has rightfully delivered on the requirement of Wrangler’s new age consumers.”
Commenting on the campaign, Wrangler Marketing Head Rohini Haldea adds, “Interactive ads are a good way for brands to get consumers’ attention and engage with them in a way that is meaningful to the brand. With the interactive ad feature, Wrangler’s Stretch Plus campaign is aimed at creating a digital experience that highlights the product benefits in an engaging manner and incentivises the consumer to try the product.”
MUMBAI: Isobar India has appointed Suraj Nagappa as its vice president to head the business for south. He will be based out of the Bangalore office which boasts of a team size of over 70 and with clients like SunTv, Myntra, Wrangler, Duroflex, Air Asia to name a few.
Suraj will also be a part of Isobar India’s Leadership team, which already includes Gopa Kumar (Executive VP), Shekhar Mhaskar Vice President, Anish Varghese National Creative director, along with Shamsuddin Jasani, MD, Isobar India.
Suraj comes with more than 17 years of rich experience in New Media strategy and planning especially with Mobile, SEM and Programmatic based solutions. His past stints have been with some of the best Media setups like Neo@Ogilvy, DDB Mudra, Denstu, Interactive Avenues and Mediaturf and serviced brands like Citibank, SAP, Infosys, Accenture, Toyota, Hitachi, Honda, Amway and Ministry of tourism.
Isobar India MD Shamsuddin Jasani says, “Suraj is a veteran of the digital industry and I am happy to welcome him to the Isobar family. With a team of over 70 people in Bangalore and Chennai we needed a person who could take the team forward to greater heights and clearly cement our place as the leading full service agency for the digital age.”
Nagappa says, “I look forward to collaborating with Shams and his team to work on future ready agency for our clients. Digital technologies are transforming all the aspects of business at clients end… I am looking forward to help and build Isobar for the future where digital and mobile are at the heart of strategy.”
