Campus Activewear has made a deliberate pivot. Known for sports and athleisure, the brand has now launched Élan by Campus – a new footwear line targeting the neo-casual segment, designed for consumers who want their shoes to work as hard across a boardroom as they do at brunch.
To announce the launch, Campus has rolled out a campaign titled Most Elegant Man in Town, fronted by actor Jim Sarbh. The choice is deliberate. Sarbh carries a particular kind of effortless, understated confidence – precisely the register Élan is trying to own. The campaign reframes elegance not as formality, but as an expression of individuality.
The film follows Sarbh through a stylised setting, moving across different moods and moments – office, travel, social – each one anchored by the collection’s core promise: versatility without compromise. It’s a fashion-led narrative that lets the product breathe rather than shout.
The neo-casual category has been quietly gaining ground in India, as consumers increasingly reject the binary between formal and casual footwear. Élan positions itself squarely in that white space – premium in feel, practical in application, aspirational in identity.
Nikhil Aggarwal, CEO of Campus Activewear, described the launch as a reflection of the brand’s strategy to address emerging consumer needs through relevant product innovation, signalling that Élan is less a line extension and more a portfolio statement.
For Campus, this isn’t just a new shoe. It’s a new conversation about who the brand is dressing – and where they’re headed.
