If I mention a brand to you, chances are, the first image that comes to mind isn’t the product itself—it’s the advertisement. Probably it’s a billboard with a celebrity that you glance at from your daily commute, or a campaign video you scrolled past on Instagram. This isn’t a coincidence. Branding today is less about function and more about association. We don’t just remember logos; we remember the faces, aesthetics, and stories associated with them. In an era where visibility equals value, the emotional and aspirational cues built by brands through celebrities and media matter more than ever.
This existing norm has distanced the consumers from understanding the true ethical regards of a brand, the conscience towards society and understanding communal goals. And yet, brands continue giving away money to celebrities who are already flooded with brand deals. This shift is not entirely negative but it leads to ignorance. The line between vision and visibility gets blurred – we are not sure if we are buying a product because we want to buy it or because we are tempted into buying it. In this instance we are not buying sustainable and communal goals but we are buying an aesthetic, a story.
This makes branding and marketing a tool for the present time – a tool which can alter consumer behavior and shape it towards allocating their money with brands that invest in socially and communally effective goals. Take for example – rather than paying a celebrity to be a part of a photoshoot for a brand, why not change the course of the flow of money by asking them to share real stories about repeating, reusing and recycling their outfits. Why not rather invest in asking influential figures in the fashion or the theatre world to share stories about how we can style the same outfit in multiple ways rather than sending it on the way to landfills after a use.
The Indian government contributes to this course and amplifies the spread of this message through Mission LiFE – Lifestyle for Environment, thereby shifting lifestyles. But let’s be real, policy documentaries or pdfs do not cause a shift in culture, culture changes when people see celebrities, influencers and creators making repeating cool.
Let’s make repetition an aspiration not a sign of laundry rotation. Because it is cool when you save 2700 litres of water, 6kg of CO2 emissions, 1.5 kg of Chemicals and 25KwH of Electricity by recycling just one shirt.
