Meralda Jewels’ Onam campaign places family time at the centre of festive communication

Primarily running as a brand campaign, social content and influencer activity are expected to extend its reach and keep it visible through the festive period

Kozhikode: Meralda Jewels is taking its Onam communication beyond the familiar imagery of festive dressing and celebrations, using a family’s everyday distractions to build its latest brand story. The campaign follows a young girl trying to bring her parents’ attention back to the family as they remain occupied with work, turning a familiar household situation into a conversation around being present during moments that matter.

At the centre of the film is the idea that being physically together does not always mean being present with one another. The story shows the parents caught up in work while their daughter looks forward to celebrating Onam with them. Her attempt to bring the family together eventually becomes the turning point of the narrative. Jewellery appears through three pieces for the three family members and the shared memory created during the celebration.

“Onam has always been about coming together. But for today’s families, we felt the more relevant question was: are we really present when we are together? Our film explores that truth through a child’s eyes, and shows how one small act can bring a family back to the moment. The jewellery becomes part of that memory, not the reason for it,” said Labeeb Nelliyott, Director, Meralda Jewels.

The campaign is aimed at the new-age Malayali audience across the UAE, where Meralda has a growing retail presence, especially in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The campaign also taps into the relationship that Malayali families maintain with Kerala while living abroad. Onam provides an opportunity for families to reconnect with their culture and community, allowing Meralda Jewels to use the festival as a common communication platform across both markets.

The campaign will run across digital and social platforms, content, influencer communication and relevant offline media and retail touchpoints. The company is using the film as a brand communication exercise, while social content and influencer activity are expected to extend its reach and keep the campaign visible through the festive period.

“The first objective is brand relevance. We want Meralda Jewels to be associated not just with jewellery, but with the moments, relationships and chapters of life that jewellery becomes part of. The second is emotional engagement. We wanted to create an Onam story that today’s families can recognize themselves in,” Nelliyott said.

The campaign will also extend into Meralda stores through festive merchandising, in-store communication and curated jewellery experiences. Commercial initiatives and festive offers will support the activity where relevant, with the retailer aiming to connect the communication consumers see online with what they encounter at its stores.

Festive campaigns that begin with a consumer insight can serve both brand-building and retail objectives. A story that creates recognition can generate digital engagement, while in-store merchandising and product discovery can provide a route from awareness to consideration. For Meralda, the Onam campaign creates that link across the UAE and Kerala, while placing the brand within conversations around family, celebration and self-purchase.

The retailer expects the campaign to support festive consideration, store engagement and purchase intent during the Onam period. “If we can make Meralda Jewels meaningful in the moments people care about, we believe that relevance ultimately translates into stronger consideration for the brand and its stores,” Nelliyott said.

Meralda Jewels launched its first store in Kozhikode, Kerala, in 2019. Along with stores at Kochi, Kannur and Mangaluru, the brand now has four retail outlets in India. Internationally, Meralda Jewels officially expanded into the Dubai market on October 5, 2024, with the inauguration of its flagship store in the Meena Bazar area of Bur Dubai. Shortly after, the brand opened its second Dubai store and a third one in Abu Dhabi.

Written by Achal Chaubey

Retail Jeweller ME Exclusive