MUMBAI: Grasim has launched a new brand Venetia and Ogilvy & Mather (O&M) New Delhi, has rolled out a new print campaign for the same. The interesting part here is that the ad marks the return of the evil into the world of advertising. Also notable is the fact that a few months back, Onida's green horned devil resurfaced in the brand's ads after a long hiatus.

This nationwide campaign for Venetia is dark, evil and wicked, which is a far cry from the brand actually stands for. And that's precisely where the message lies, the agency insists.

Venetia, a fine polysynthetic fabric that has been brought to India from Italy, comes in powerful designs like razor sharp pinstripes, bold windowpanes and grim solids in dark, moody colours such as classic black, brown, grey and blue.

The advertising stems directly from what Italy has long been famous for (or rather infamous for, as the ad campaign puts it) - the Mafia.

Upputuru says, "We wanted the campaign to showcase power like it has never been shown before, both visually and through the copy. For the lighting, photography and look, we were inspired by The Godfather. There is no better manifestation of it than the Italian Mafia. Ultimate power can’t be without a streak of evil. Power corrupts, sooner or later."

Grasim brand manager Abhijit Ganguly says, "Today designs have taken paramount importance when it comes to suitings. And Venetia offers a range of designs, which are in vogue all over Europe. The Indian consumer is exposed to world fashion and being one of the fore players in the men’s fashion segment, it is only imperative for Grasim to launch this kind of a collection."