Campus Activewear Steps Into Neo-Casual Territory With Élan, Fronted By Jim Sarbh
Campus Activewear is done being known only for sneakers and sports shoes. The homegrown footwear major has rolled out Élan by Campus, a fresh line built for the neo-casual crowd — men who want one pair of shoes that can survive a boardroom meeting, a flight, and a dinner out, all in the same day.
Backing the launch is a new campaign, “Most Elegant Man in Town,” starring actor Jim Sarbh — a casting choice that leans hard into fashion-forward storytelling rather than a straightforward product pitch.
A Different Kind of Shoe Story
Élan isn’t trying to be another performance or athleisure sub-brand. It’s positioned as a bridge between formal and casual — the kind of footwear that makes sense whether you’re closing a deal, catching a connecting flight, or heading out after work. The debut range spans loafers, derbies, moccasins, brogues, and casual shoes, aimed at consumers who’ve outgrown strictly formal dress shoes but still want to look put together.
It’s a calculated bet on where Indian menswear is heading: fewer rigid formal/casual lines, more “occasion-fluid” dressing.
Jim Sarbh, Playing Himself
Rather than casting Sarbh as a character, the campaign film leans into his own persona — composed, unhurried, and quietly self-assured. The film follows him through a stripped-back, stylised setting as he slips into a pair of Élan shoes, then moves through different versions of himself: the polished professional, the easy traveller, the guy who clearly enjoys getting dressed. There’s no dramatic before-and-after moment here — the idea is that elegance isn’t a transformation, it’s a mood that was already there.
It’s a subtle shift in tone for the brand, trading the high-energy, performance-driven language typical of sportswear ads for something calmer and more cinematic.
Why It Matters for Campus
This launch is part of a bigger repositioning act. Campus Activewear unveiled a refreshed brand identity earlier this year, and Élan is arguably the clearest sign yet that the company wants to be seen as a lifestyle brand, not just a sports-shoe manufacturer chasing volume. Leadership has framed the move as a response to shifting consumer habits — buyers increasingly want fewer, more versatile pairs rather than a shoe for every single occasion.
The collection will be available through Campus’s own website, on Amazon and Myntra, and across retail stores — with the campaign running across digital, social, retail, and e-commerce touchpoints.
The Bigger Picture
Élan lands at a moment when several Indian footwear and lifestyle brands are chasing the same “premium but wearable” positioning, betting that a recognisable face and a well-shot film can do more for brand recall than a straightforward product ad ever could. Whether Sarbh’s understated cool translates into shelf traction remains to be seen — but as a statement of intent, Campus Activewear has made it clear it wants a seat at the fashion table, not just the sportswear aisle.
