CaratLane earmarks ₹2–3 crores in digital media to market collection celebrating women in aviation

Jewellery brand CaratLane is tying its latest collection launch to a specific moment, International Aircrew Day, observed on May 31. The aim is to spotlight professionals in aviation, particularly women, whose work often goes unrecognised.

“We’re launching this one around International Aircrew Day observed on May 31st, as a tribute to everyone in the aviation sector—ground staff, aircrew, commercial and fighter pilots,” says Shaifali Gautam, Chief Marketing Officer at CaratLane. “No one globally has created a fine jewellery collection dedicated to this cohort, and we wanted to be the first.”

Called The Runway Collection, the new line features aviation-inspired designs like earrings with moving, propeller-style parts and rings and brooches with an aircraft. 

But the brand says it’s about more than aesthetics. The campaign aims to spotlight women in underrepresented professions, like pilots, who make up 15% of India’s cockpit workforce, over three times the global average. CaratLane saw this as a timely way to blend purpose with celebration.

Experiential marketing is going to play a key role in the campaign. “On May 31st, we’re creating a red carpet experience at the Bangalore airport just for the aircrew,” says Gautam. “It’ll run for three days, complete with a paparazzi-style welcome, to truly make them feel celebrated on their special day.” The event is also designed to bring more attention to Aircrew Day itself, which she notes is still relatively unknown.

From a media perspective, the brand is rolling out a film featuring commercial pilots, fighter pilots, and aircrew. 

Gautam says, “It will run across YouTube and programmatic platforms, with a digital media investment of about ₹2-3 crores.”

Offline, the brand is activating at about 100 of its 325 stores, where pilots and aircrew have been invited to unveil the collection. “In one store, a pilot launched the collection, and it was such a touching moment,” she shares. Influencers from the aviation space are also part of the rollout to help expand the campaign’s reach.

CaratLane’s approach to launching new collections is fast and instinct-driven. “We work a lot with intuition and passion,” adds Gautam “If a collection looks stunning and the idea feels fresh, we go all in.”

Core strategy

While experiential campaigns like The Runway Collection create memorable brand moments, CaratLane’s storytelling strength also lies in how it approaches relationships with emotional honesty. The brand’s recent campaign, ‘The Nudge’, is one example. 

The ad flips the usual narrative around proposals, showing a man who waits too long to pop the question and almost ends up losing his partner. It’s a humorous, relatable take on modern commitment and taps into a behavioural truth the brand has explored before.

“Every campaign starts with a real insight,” says Gautam. “Take our recent engagement campaigns—one launched in February, and the second just now in May. Both were built on the insight that men often procrastinate when it comes to proposing. They’re happy with the status quo, and women sometimes have to give them a little nudge. These relatable truths make our storytelling feel authentic and help drive strong engagement.”

But beyond the storytelling itself, CaratLane’s approach is also rooted in sharp media planning and targeted reach. “We’re deeply invested in programmatic and mid-funnel digital strategies. We’ve become very sharp in that space,” she says.

The brand has also made a conscious shift to go beyond metro audiences. “About three quarters ago, we also started investing in traditional media to reach consumers in tier-2 and tier-3 cities who aren't always digitally active,” she adds. “We’ve leaned into regional content creation, working in local languages and contexts, which has opened up new audiences for us.”

Whether it’s about celebrating under-recognised professionals or nudging romantic partners toward commitment, CaratLane’s campaigns continue to reflect a blend of cultural relevance, consumer insight, and smart distribution.

Consumer behaviour 

With customers ranging from Gen Z self-buyers to traditional gifters in Tier-2 cities, CaratLane’s audience is anything but one-size-fits-all. But the brand has found a way to speak to each cohort without losing its identity.

“We’ve broadly identified three major consumer cohorts,” says Gautam. “One is the self-rewarding woman—she buys jewellery to indulge herself. Second is gifting—our price points make us very accessible for men looking to gift something meaningful. And third is the engagement segment—we’re a go-to for proposals, with engagement rings starting at ₹25,000.”

CaratLane is also entering a newer, more traditional space, plain gold. “We were primarily a diamond brand, but the love for 22kt gold is coming back. We recently launched two collections in this category: DC Bond and Kanna (meaning ‘harvest’), and both are doing well,” she adds. “So our brand now speaks across self-reward, gifting, engagement, and tradition. Our tone is not overly quirky, but it’s always relatable, and that’s what helps us stay consistent.”

The way people wear jewellery is changing. CaratLane is watching these shifts closely and adapting accordingly.

“Consumers today are wearing precious jewellery every day, and not just for special occasions,” says Gautam. “Even higher-ticket items like tennis bracelets, costing ₹1–1.5 lakhs, are being worn as daily accessories. Minimalism has become aspirational.”

This behaviour has informed how the brand designs and prices its products. “We’ve noticed that customers who start with us—buying pieces in the ₹10–25k range—eventually move up the value chain. As they grow older, gain more financial independence, they begin investing in finer jewellery. This insight has led us to evolve our product strategy, expanding our offerings beyond ₹1 lakh; we had limited options earlier.”

The road ahead

As CaratLane grows its retail footprint, with over 300 stores across India, localisation has become central to its long-term vision.

“If you ask my boss, he’ll joke that the goal is to have zero marketing spend with maximum ROI!” Shaifali says with a laugh. “But jokes aside, a major long-term goal is localisation. A couple of years ago, we had around 200 stores, mainly in metros. Today, with over 300 stores, many in smaller towns, we know we have to speak the local language—not just linguistically, but culturally.”

And that means building campaigns from the ground up. “If we have 14 stores in Chennai, our content needs to be in Tamil, set in relatable contexts. Instead of translating a national campaign, we want to create stories from the ground up, rooted in each region's ethos. That’s the only way CaratLane can truly become a part of every Indian city.”

CaratLane is adapting by reaching new regions and launching collections quickly. In a competitive jewellery market, it focuses on mixing clear ideas with practical planning.