Happy, colourful and fresh. H&M India’s festive edit packs in all of it — women, men, kids and home. The collection was launched with a fun campaign film, Brighter Than Ever, starring Jim Sarbh, Manushi Chhillar, Isha Talwar, Shantanu Maheshwari, Zaeden and Chum Darang. The Telegraph chatted with Jim and Manushi on the campaign and more.
Brighter Than Ever looks like a lot of fun!
Manushi Chhillar: It’s a complete joyride! In the film you will see what happiness means to different people and how human warmth can transcend seemingly usual places into unusual and even magical. The film has a visual undercurrent and tone and comes alive with a great mix of cast, use of colour, sound and humane characters with their own journeys. My character is in her 20s, who is shifting to a new place this Diwali and is met with the task of decorating her new home and she is missing her mother as it’s her first Diwali away. As the film progresses with the help of the liftman, the door opens to an already set up house and her mother waiting to welcome her. Can’t we all relate to these emotions? The character offered was relatable to me in more ways than one and I’m sure everyone who sees the campaign will relate to it as well!
Jim Sarbh: When I was approached with the script I was instantly drawn to the character of the mysterious liftman. Packed with magical realism, this year’s campaign colourfully depicts the different ways different people wish to celebrate today. Set inside an art deco building’s manually operated magic elevator, I play a liftman who transports each character to their prized personal versions of ‘Brighter Than Ever’. The director wanted the character to be warm and preternaturally empathetic towards his fellow passengers’ needs and emotions.
What are some of your favourites from the campaign?
Manushi: The sequinned dresses! I love how versatile the separates are because you can pair and style them differently to fit the occasion. For example, the pink separates I am wearing in the campaign film can be taken from day to night by just accessorising it differently. The sequinned dresses are a wardrobe staple every girl should have this season! Easy, fun and stylish.
Jim: The colours are vibrant and arresting. The best combination of comfort and fun, which can be paired with almost everything including traditional festive wear. The jackets are also reversible, making them super versatile to take from day to night.
What would you typically wear for festive occasions?
Manushi: I love experimenting and having fun when it comes to fashion. The silver sequinned dress from the collection is a personal favourite and has already made it to my festive wardrobe for this season.
‘Brighter Than Ever’ is also meaningful in the sense that after the onslaught of Covid, the spirit is at its peak. In a way, this is an ode to human resilience too, right?
Manushi: Yes, I believe each one of us has come out stronger through these turbulent times. In a way, while everyone is seeking happiness and the spirits are high this festive season, each of us are seeking and looking forward to a ‘Brighter Than Ever’ future. We’ve learnt to shine and find brighter than ever moments in our everyday lives.
Jim: An ode to human connection, I’d say. The tonality of this year’s film is fun, fashionable and breezy. The film takes the viewer on a journey with what it feels like to get back to public life, without forgetting the important close connections we have with our loved ones.
Name a personality who comes to mind when we say ‘Brighter Than Ever’.
Manushi: I’d say me! Because there’s so much to look forward to.
Jim: Elton John.
Spokesperson speak:
We’re constantly listening to the needs of our customers and understand that festivals are an important part of Indian culture and therefore introducing locally relevant H&M India collections continues to be our focus through the year. This year we are proud to lift the curtain on our festive collection, consisting of westernwear and home decor, with an equally vibrant and stylised campaign.
The film that lies at the heart of this campaign, symbolises how we find our ‘Brighter Than Ever’ moments today and is a light-hearted film essentially about making human connections, with the tonality of the film resonating with our brand DNA of being fun, fashionable and stylish.
Each year we continue to build the ‘Brighter Than Ever’ offering, giving it a new narrative that resonates with the ever-evolving times we live in. With the release of the first ‘Brighter Than Ever’ campaign in 2020, our campaign was conceptualised on the shared desire and hope to celebrate the way we used to. Having said that, after two years, the world may be moving back to normal, but seemingly “normal” affairs such as games night with friends or a day in with family, today, feel brighter than ever to us. These prized personal versions of ‘Brighter Than Ever’ are what the joyride of the third edition campaign film transports us to, with the character of a mysteriously magical liftman along with each character’s story arc intended to represent their own nuanced and personal preferences when it comes to making the festive season special.
The campaign is a visual delight with an undercurrent of magic and adventure, represented by such a diverse and talented star cast including talented actors and musicians.
The collection captures the sensation of getting ready and has been curated to truly celebrate the season with a range of party dresses featuring embellishments and sequin detailing along with tops and trousers designed with different motifs with a bright colour palette at incredible price points
— Amit Kothari, regional head of customer activation & marketing —H&M South Asia
