The Raymond Group, incorporated 1925, has played a huge role in redefining formal dressing of Indian men.
The brand started with a small woollen mill in Thane called Raymond Woollen Mill. In 1944, Lala Kailashpat Singhania took over Raymond, and for some time the mill was used to manufacture coarse woollen blankets and modest quantities of low-priced woollen fabrics. Within a short span, Raymond began to adapt to new technology innovations, which led to the production of superior quality fabrics. Raymond entered into the retail sector in 1958 with its first exclusive retail showroom in Mumbai.
The group forayed into the sexual wellness segment through the KamaSutra brand in 1991 and later extended it to deodorants and even energy drinks. The group has a significant presence in the B2B space through its garmenting business, besides ready-to-wear brands such as Park Avenue, Raymond Ready To Wear, ColorPlus, Parx and Ethnix.
Besides its presence in textile and apparel, it has a play in segments such as FMCG, realty, engineering and prophylactics in India and abroad. But for the average Indian, brand Raymond is synonymous with ‘The Complete Man’ and suiting. While establishing that brand, Raymond redefined the definition of manhood ushering in gender sensitivity, long before it was woke.
If Frank Simoes created the first ads, Nexus Equity coined ‘The Complete Man’ and later, RK Swamy nailed it with ‘Feels like heaven… Feels like Raymond’. RK Swamy is also credited with using the soundtrack by Robert Schumann ‘Träumerei’, which remains the brand’s signature till date.
The work is the best in the category we have seen to date, and certainly among the best advertising from Indian brands, across categories.
