Actor Liam Neeson recently confessed in a podcast that he had absolutely no idea what a Labubu was — despite the tiny monster dolls having become a global cultural phenomenon…

Mahabali reimagined in Deconstruct’s Onam 2025 campaign titled “Kuda Mathram Mathiyavilla”  The festive beats continued as brands marked their presence at Ganesha Chaturthi pandals and Onam celebrations and started whipping up…

From skincare to infant formula, parents want the best  | Photo Credit: iStock Indian parents are willing to shell out big bucks when it comes to their babies, going out…

India’s recent ban on money-based online gaming has set off a storm in a teacup – a very large teacup worth ₹20,000 crore, as claimed.The government argues it is protecting…

Is Japan’s Dentsu group contemplating selling its international business? Media reports suggested a sale, describing how the group had signed up M&A partners to find potential buyers. But then a…

Kerala Tourism UK F-35B advertisement; memes on popular shows and films When a British F-35B stealth fighter jet made an emergency landing at Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram International Airport and then found itself…

This year’s campaign stressed: true freedom is only realised when no child goes to bed hungry.  This Independence Day, KRBL Limited, which owns the India Gate Basmati Rice, launched the…

Actors Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra in a still from ‘Sholay’ Exactly fifty years ago, in 1975, I watched Sholay for the first time. I was a young school boy in Kollam in…

The crisps are laced with natural ingredients like turmeric, ginger, black pepper and green tea antioxidants found in hangover-prevention supplements. Morning after mixes and drinks are common enough to combat hangovers.…

Four packets of Maggi noodles were ordered every minute throughout the year. | Photo Credit: iStockphoto Flipkart Minutes which launched just a year ago and is now in 19 cities,…

Actor Kalyani Priyadarshan in the ad. When your eyes smile, the whole face smiles, declares actor Kalyani Priyadarshan, as she lines her eyes with Himalaya Wellness’s Kajal. A quick montage of shots…

South Indian Bank’s Onam film makes a heartfelt call to every Malayali, wherever they are, to come home for Onam. The joyous film, which shows a girl somehow making it to…

Sujata Appliances Onam campaign is also about homecoming. But it’s completely different – it’s about people in an old age home awaiting their loved ones, living abroad, to visit them…

Weaving in tradition

It’s 25 years of Škoda Auto in India and the auto brand’s new campaign pays homage to the affection and loyalty it has earned from its fans. At the heart of…

(from left) Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, DS Group, and Prasanth Kumar, CEO, WPP Media, South Asia FMCG conglomerate Dharampal Satyapal Group (DS Group) in collaboration with WPP Media, has launched DCODE – The Guide to…

Colloquially speaking

F1 is a 2025 American sports drama film directed by Joseph Kosinski and stars Brad Pitt as Formula One racing driver Sonny Hayes | Photo Credit: Ritaja Roy _12104@Delhi Marketing investments into “F1”, the hollywood movie starring Brad…

New report on snacking challenges assumptions driving marketing investments

A few months back, I wrote about AI adoption in Indian advertising, close on the heels of the WPP CEO stepping down — allegedly for not making WPP agencies AI-friendly.The…

In an audacious move, Christopher Nolan’s film The Odyssey opened for ticket sales a full year before its scheduled release on July 17, 2026. And yet, there was mad fan…

Friendship Day gets a fresh twist this year with Bingo!’s new campaign, ‘From BFF to FF — Forgotten Friend’, conceptualised and executed by Tonic Worldwide. What happens when your best…

If there is one thing in the kitchen that Indians are very particular about, it’s the spices they use. And the choice of spice brand is most often dictated by…

Former Viacom18 COO launches House of IPs

Vinsmera Jewels’ sparkling ad campaign, which is breaking the internet, opens on a film set where the crew is arranging props for a jewellery shoot, even as Malayalam superstar Mohanlal…

GREAT UNIFIER: Commuters of all hues ride the metro | Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN When I visit Mumbai, I often take the local train from Churchgate station to Borivali. The…

Processed foods typically mention saturated and transfat per serving. But how will you know whether, say, 20 gram of saturated fat per 100 gram serving is too much? You could…

DOS AND DON’TS: Sahil Chopra, Chairman, Indian Influencer Governing Council For many brands, influencers have become a core pillar of marketing. For consumers, an influencer’s endorsement now carries more weight…

A likely drop to a record low in July is prompting calls for at least one more rate cut this year | Photo Credit: John Kevin Indian government bond yields…

Luggage brand Safari and wearable tech company boAt have come together to help you keep your bags safe. With the campaign ‘Your Safari Got Safer’, launched on Amazon during Prime…

FURRY RELATIVE: India’s pet population is set to touch 40 million | Photo Credit: Dimple Bhati Think ‘family’ and what comes to mind? A small cosy unit with a husband,…

Fifteen years ago, the Great Indian Influencer was a perfectly coiffured, English-medium-type blogger (Wordpress, usually) from south Delhi, coyly promoting a fashion or skincare product on Twitter or Facebook, in…

For the last few months, Swiggy, India’s hyperlocal food delivery platform, had been involved in the beta testing of Google’s advertising-focused AI solutions to boost its reach to audiences. One…

SHOT AT FAME: Apple’s award-winning ‘shot on iPhone’ campaign has driven brand affinity for nearly a decade Many a powerful marketing trend came to the fore at the Cannes Lions…

PUNJABI PATTY: Burger Singh is high on desi flavours Yashveer Yadav is enjoying his new role as a retail entrepreneur. A few years ago, Yadav, who is in his 40s,…

Casual footwear company Crocs served us a playful K-drama-Bollywood crossover that totally stole our heart. Tapping into pop culture from both countries and sprinkling loads of monsoon magic into it,…

Adieu, Cannes! India returned from the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity with 32 medals, including a Grand Prix, nine gold, nine silver and 13 bronze. This is not…

ORGANIC APPEAL: Greenery at Bengaluru airport | Photo Credit: Shivendu Jauhari Is it possible that the humble fruit in Apple’s logo is part of what makes its customers among the…

RAPT FACTOR: Krafton India’s 24-minute ‘DoomTroopers’ campaign Seen the Sleepy Cat “slap facial” ad that is trending and has attracted rapturous posts by marketers? It’s outlandish, hilarious, quirky… and quite…

Recently, Mark Read stepped down as advertising behemoth WPP’s global CEO, and a not-so-secret reason murmured in industry circles was the network’s inability to truly embrace AI in its marketing and…

What’s cooking at the ‘Olympics of creativity’

BREAKING THE CLUTTER: Yourri Guerassimov, CEO and CCO , Marcel “Creativity in agencies should really be linked to the business gain of our clients. Our main job is to make…

Rohit Ohri, Founder, Ohriginal | Photo Credit: Advertising veteran Rohit Ohri, who retired from FCB last September, has launched a culture consultancy, cleverly named Ohriginal. The 62-year-old adman says he…

PUMA India’s new Instagram campaign, ‘RCB Shotline’, which features Virat Kohli, Usain Bolt, PV Sindhu, Jack Grealish, Rajat Patidar, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, and Krunal Pandya, is fun, quirky and hooks…

IT’S A STRETCH! Luxury sleeping pod for business-class nomads | Photo Credit: Chesky_W Last month, I undertook a long journey from India to the US and back. The flying time…

Takeaways from Goafest2025, where the ad and marketing community aired its worries about the future

MESSAGING MATTERS: Col Sofiya Qureshi (left), Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh at a media briefing on ‘Operation Sindoor’ | Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR I woke…

Mayo Murasaki, a Hindi-speaking Japanese YouTuber At the inaugural World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (Waves), cine stars Shah Rukh Khan, Rajinikanth, Mohanlal, et al, created a buzz, as expected.…

HERITAGE INC: Godrej Enterprises Archives records the nation’s history through the evolution of the company’s product portfolio For marketers, old can be the proverbial gold if leveraged well. Recently, IIM-Ahmedabad…

Actor Neena Gupta and her daughter Masaba bring a smile to your lips in Myntra’s Mother’s Day campaign. Neena asks Masaba what she will gift her for Mother’s Day and…

In yet another structural shift, WPP has moved creative agency Grey from the AKQA group to Ogilvy. Grey’s global chief Laura Maness will now report directly to Devika Bulchandani, the…

PIE CHART: A delivery platform sent out 5.84 crore pizzas in 2024 | Photo Credit: jimkruger Last month, I visited the US for six days. Within this brief period, I…

Advertising as we know it seems nearly dead. Brands are seen making more Instagram reels than 30-second commercials. The planning and strategy function in ad agencies must obviously keep step.…

BUY WORD: E-commerce drives 21 per cent of India’s digital ad market | Photo Credit: filadendron With digital advertising, marketers gained amazing reach. Now, with AI tools, we are at…

Sunscreen wars spilled over into some opportunistic campaigns, but it was the tech-fuelled melodic ode to the ‘cup that cheers’ that wowed

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan speaks during a session titled ‘The Journey: From Outsider to Ruler’ at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025, in Mumbai | Photo…

GRT Jewellers has launched a special sales campaign Akshaya Tritiya, titled ‘Akshaya Tritiya Celebration’. In Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, the campaign will be called ‘Akshaya Tritiyai Kondattam’. In Andhra Pradesh…

Recently, Nikhil Kamath of Zerodha publicly offered to intern — without pay — at Aravind Srinivas’s company Perplexity, to learn about the AI industry. Kamath had interviewed Srinivas on his…

The sheen is wearing off traditional ecommerce. For all their size and scale, platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, Zomato, and Swiggy are grappling with user fatigue, seller disillusionment, and a workforce…

Satinder Singh, GM India, Royal Canin “The entire market has transformed from when we first arrived in India,” declares Satinder Singh, GM India of pet nutrition company Royal Canin, which has…

Cricket is a passion for most Indians. So is food. Imagine marrying the two — the brand engagement can go up 10X. This IPL season has seen two such combos…

IPL season is hotting up and the ad breaks are as interesting as the match play. But guess which ads are scoring? Men seem to recall auto ads while women…

To be at the company that actually markets marketing is incredible, says Lara Balazs, the new CMO of Adobe, the San Jose-based tech company that sells digital marketing solutions and…

LAYERS OF MEANING: ‘Marilyn Diptych’ by Andy Warhol Whenever I am in London, I make it a point to visit the Tate Modern because its collection of art is amazing.…

KP Bhavadasan, Managing Director of KP Namboodiri’s KP Namboodiri’s — the toothpowder company in Kerala famous for offering its flagship Dantadhavanachoornam product to Lord Krishna in Guruvayoor — turned 100…

Trump’s tariffs have heightened uncertainty among brands and advertisers

On the campaign trail

If you look at your living room, the TV has evolved from the old cathode-ray tube model to LED and a smart TV with a voice remote. But if you…

It was AI that dominated conversations at the just concluded Adobe Summit in Las Vegas, which saw over 12,000 attendees, largely from the marketing community. The 23rd edition of the…

Steve Jobs famously said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.”The same is true with technology — you never really know what’s happening;…

It’s the season of Holi, and IPL is not far behind. While the premier T20 tournament kicked off on March 22, brands are scrambling to use cricketers in their campaigns…

Reshma Budhia, CEO of Toss the Coin (TTC), joked with co-founder and Managing Director Jayan Narayanan that their 12-year-old marketing consultancy should work so well that it should make money even…

Fairs offer a fun way to gauge what’s trending. A walkthrough at Aahar 2025 in Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam gave one a whiff of what’s cooking and brewing in food and…

It has become de rigeur for brands to put out some strong positive messaging around women’s empowerment in the first week of March, and this year too there is the…

Does gender play a role in entrepreneurship? Women have faced challenges of gender bias — both conscious and unconscious — for centuries. And they continue to build, facing these challenges.…

It’s the opening day of Bharat Tex — the mega textile trade fair at Bharat Mandapam, in New Delhi. The attractively designed Trident pavilion is buzzing with visitors. The ₹6,808…

India’s formidable array of craft traditions got full play at the just concluded Bharat Tex 2025, the mega textile trade show in New Delhi that showcased the best of Indian…

Charles Dickens sums up the Ranbeer Allahabadia episode quite well: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Both go hand in hand these days. Free…

This must be the busiest February for brands, who have been showering Valentine’s Day love, pulling out new activations at Mahakumbh, celebrating Shivaji’s birthday and then padded up for the…

Ketan Mody, the COO of Reliance Consumer Products Ltd, the FMCG arm and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd, was in Chennai recently to announce the acquisition of the…

Brands and political parties are about right positioning. Brand position is what you stand for and political position is the ideology you espouse. It is important to understand what defines localness…

Bad Nauheim is a small town in Germany, with a population of just 33,000. It is a health resort noted for its salt springs. I visited this town recently, and…

Meghana Sundaresan, 24, a microbiology researcher, is extremely conscious of what she puts on her face, hair and body. Aware that she is acne prone, she peruses labels and looks…

As you enter the India Art Fair grounds, a monstrous cement truck that has been repurposed into a piece of outdoor art, with bits and pieces of metal scrap, catches…

Come February and brands begin smelling of roses and romance. Even as Valentine’s Day fever is peaking with brands playing Cupid, Cadbury as usual gets the eyeball for taking a…

India’s advertising industry grew by 6.3 per cent in 2024 despite macroeconomic headwinds; and, within that, digital advertising surged by a whopping 21.1 per cent, says the 9th edition of…

The New Year seems to have put new energy into the ad world, which has given us lots of lovely work this past fortnight — from Absolut’s unlabel campaign, which…

A golden rule in marketing, says brand consultant Giraj Sharma, is to go where the people are, and the numbers will follow. With 400 million people attending the once-in-144-year spectacle…

If Shehzad (the man accused of stabbing Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan) had tried his stunt at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, he’d have been identified, located, and apprehended faster…

The year 2025 could well be one of contradictions, going by the 11th edition of VML’s ‘The Future 100’ report, which pinpoints business and cultural trends based on a survey…

The Pantone Color Institute has declared its colour of the new year 2025 — ‘mocha mousse’, an evocative soft-brown. When I first saw this lovely colour, it suggested cocoa, coffee…

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the influential tech event in Las Vegas that opens every calendar year and gives us a glimpse of trends to come, there was a…

Three guys in a convertible, off on a holiday. Reminds you of Dil Chahta Hai, perhaps? Or Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara? Phone maker Oppo’s new ad for its Reno13 smartphone series is…

The Digital Personal Data Protection (DRDP) rules have been put out by the Indian government for public consultation until February 18, 2025. They can impact the digital and influencer marketing…

In a world filled with heavily funded start-ups that create noise by throwing money, how a small, cash-strapped jewellery and watch brand grew through frugal marketing makes for an interesting…

Whether it’s the inside story on Zepto’s work culture, or a British tourist’s take on India’s infrastructure, or the latest ‘tea’ on Bollywood celebrities, many of these viral discussions on…

I don’t know if it’s in 10 years, five, or sooner, but change is coming. And it won’t trickle in gently; it will sweep through like a wave, leaving behind…

Newly launched uber luxury fashion brand Riccaro Corduso has unveiled a bold, stylish campaign called ‘Rise Above’, shot in Ladakh. Featuring international models, the brand film promotes the cashmere fabric…

Luigi Mangione — a name that has sparked debates across the globe. The young man, hailing from a prominent real estate family in Baltimore, US, shocked the world when he…

As 2024 nears its end, many of you may be planning year-end parties to ring out the old and ring in the new. Or you may not have begun planning…

If you follow food vloggers on Instagram, you cannot help noticing the Wonderchef brand in their cooking videos — be it the cookware, the gas lighter, the Nutri-Blend mixer, or…

A seven-city roadshow, several high-decibel brand collaborations, scintillating trailers... Pushpa 2: The Ruleaced it not just at the box office but also on the marketing front. From Tata Tea to Uber…

Back in 2013, ad networks Omnicom and Publicis tried to merge citing technological threats. The feeling was that by combining their armoury, they could manage the digital wave sweeping the…

Cosmetics brand Swiss Beauty’s campaign #SajDhajKe celebrates the new-age bride who confidently takes charge of her big day — from directing decorators, helping her friends with makeup and juggling professional…

Colgate-Palmolive MD and CEO Prabha Narasimhan had put in place a four-pillar strategy that has been successfully driving growth for the company in the last few quarters. The first pillar…

Consumer goods major Marico Ltd made a strong play in digital a few years ago with a string of acquisitions. This has emerged as a strong pillar of growth for…

Takeshi Sano, who took over as CEO of Dentsu Japan in January this year and will soon assume an additional role as deputy global COO of the network, was in…

I have been in three big cities over the past month — Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Madrid. In all three, I have observed the resurgence of a timeless fashion trend —…

Quick commerce is highly disruptive and, with multiple triggers for strong growth over the medium to long term, it’s all set to impact India’s FMCG and retail ecosystem in a big…

The WPP group, which comprises a host of agenciessuch as VML, Ogilvy, Group M, and Burson — spanning creative, media, PR, and digital, among other segments — recently opened its…

A year ago Myntra launched FWD — short for ‘Forward’ — its dedicated Gen Z offering. Three months ago it launched The Ultimate Glam Clan, a creator programme on the…

“Every day sees a new trend,” declares Amit Wadhwa, CEO, South Asia, Dentsu Creative, a self-declared “impatient soul” who craves constant action. Well, the creative industry, which has been transforming…

B Dayakar, CEO of the ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research’s Nutrihub, insists it’s a misconception that millet consumption is low in rural areas. Traditional grains have not lost their appeal…

Culture collective Kommune’s insights vertical, Stumble, has released its first culture report, ‘Consumed: A Deep Dive Into Consumer Culture In India’. The report aims to help brands, students, collectives, academics,…

Ethnic clothing brand Sabhyata, which produced a lovely festive campaign in 2022 featuring Sheeba Chadha, is back this Diwali with another heartwarming ad — this time celebrating motherhood. The advertisement…

Diwali ads are generally high in sugar. As in, 95 per cent range from bad to very bad. The basic formula is to weave some soppy, sugary narrative around the…

This October, ITC Maurya gave a taste of its seven-year-old progressive South Indian gastronomy brand Avartana to Delhi-ites as it opened the restaurant in its flagship hotel. At the preview, the…

When three advertising veterans with a distinguished body of work band together to start a new venture, you sit up and take note. Former Lintas and Tilt Brand Solutions executives…

Home Centre’s Diwali campaign is centred around gifting items that elevate the beauty of a home. The digital-first campaign ‘Speaking Gifts by Home Centre’ shows highly aspirational home products, even…

Customers in the US can look forward to more Indian flavours on store shelves. Ahead of Diwali, Walmart is making available popular Indian food and snack products in that country.…

When I visited Spain last month, my wife and daughter had only one ask of me. “Bring back a Bialetti moka pot.” I searched for it in Madrid and finally…

What keeps housewives, college students and corporate leaders glued to screens from 9.15 am to 3.30 pm on days the stock market is open? And what lessons are there in…

In the post-pandemic world, all of us had crawled out of our work-from-home caves in pyjamas, and realised that we may not need to look so put together anymore. Comfort…

Festive season is here — the time when brands up their creativity and pull out sparkling ideas. It’s also the season of giving, and many of the campaigns are full…

It was a pitch fest of the Keiretsu Forum Chennai in late 2018, and Anusha and Mahesh Dharam were understandably nervous as two of their earlier pitches for venture funding…

The Puja and Diwali festive season is just ahead. This is the time of the year when many of us will think about gifting. We love receiving and giving gifts,…

Brand and design evangelist Lulu Raghavan has just released her book Go Further, Faster, which is about professional growth and the importance of personal branding. The articulate and charming Raghavan…

The breakfast bread that India consumes is evolving — from the unhealthy white and brown loaves, there has been a shift to multigrain, atta and now millet bread. But a…

Farmery, a direct to consumer (D2C) disruptor redefining the consumer experience with fresh, organic food through its farm-to-fork ethos, has launched cow and buffalo ghee. These offerings, set to be…

“Jack be nimble, Jack be quickJack jump over the candlestick”Who would have imagined this early 19th century nursery rhyme was actually about the Indian quick commerce (q-commerce) scenario in 2024?…

One advertisement tagline that has stuck on for years is JK Tyres’ ‘Total Control’. Over the weekend, tyres developed by the Singhanias-owned tyre major powered speed demons as they roared…

“This generation is an experience-seeker,” says brand consultant Sanjay Sarma, describing how, for the average 20-something in Delhi, a routine evening out means catching a gig at a place like…

This fortnight has been marked by two films with standout storytelling that tugs your heartstrings. Brands are also gearing up for festive times ahead with bold campaigns. Pure nostalgia Snacking…

A recent report released by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), in collaboration with Parallel, a product design studio, highlights the use of deceptive patterns by many leading Indian…

“Where else can you be 50-year old, wear Mouse ears or dress as your favourite Disney character and be free to be a child again, without being judged!” exclaims Corey…

Furry companions never had it so good. Till a few years ago, you could count the number of pet food brands on one paw, with Pedigrees and Whiskas from Mars…

The monsoon is still active across India, and equally it has rained campaigns. After a brief dry spell, brands have found their muse in Independence Day, finding different ways to…

The Advertising Club has forged a deal with the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) to offer global courses at special prices to its members under the aegis of The…

India’s $130 billion lifestyle market, with fashion accounting for nearly 80 per cent and the rest beauty and personal care segment, is expected to grow at 10-12 per cent CAGR,…

When two award-winning chefs get together it’s bound to be an unforgettable evening of gastronomic delight. ITC Hotels is bringing Chef Pam Pichaya Soontornyanakij of Bangkok’s Potong Restaurant, which boasts…

(A-Z: This series of light hearted explorations on familiar objects from everyday life dear to the urban Indian middle class looks at how they shape our wants & desires and…

The Chola dynasty and its nearly 1,500 year rule over southern Indian and southeast Asia is legendary. There was an outpouring of nostalgia when the movie Ponniyin Selvan, depicting the early…

The festive season is around the corner, with Raksha Bandhan, Janmasthami, Onam starting it all off. So is the beauty season. It’s the time when Indian women start to deck…

Yoga, an ancient practice that originated in India over 5,000 years ago, was traditionally limited to yogis or individuals deeply immersed in spiritual pursuits. Yet, it was not until the…

Imagine swapping your morning commute (groan!) for a cozy spot at home with a cup of kadak chai, and voila — you’re ready for class. From the hustle of Mumbai…

At 35-year Lisha Vineeth’s home in Kochi, dishes like rasam, avial and kaalan simmer in traditional red earthen pots. She is all set for this Onam, with a range of…

It’s said that the good that people do lives on long after they are gone. In the case of advertising doyen and philanthropist Shambhu Venkatrao Sista — better known as…

Brands are chasing their own pot of gold at the Olympics, piggybacking on athletes and unleashing campaigns that highlight their grit and determination. But several brands without clear endorsement deals…

With the Paris Olympics 2024 set to kick-off on July 26, a contingent of 117 athletes will represent India at the Games, carrying the hopes and dreams of the entire…

Later this month, the 2024 Olympic Games will open in Paris. For 19 days, millions of people across the world will be in front of their televisions, watching beautiful displays…

A noticeable trend this fortnight was the growing number of brand campaigns created by independent agencies outside the networks or films created in-house by companies. Fix it with AI OPPO…

A surprise recent success in the energy drinks category in India is Pepsico’s Sting which has upstaged Red Bull, capturing 90 per cent of the market share within just six…

A-Z: This series of light hearted explorations on familiar objects from everyday life dear to the urban Indian middle class looks at how they shape our wants & desires and…

In the bustling households of India, where every appliance tells a story of utility and aspiration, there lies an unsung hero — the voltage stabilizer. Imagine entering a lively middle-class…

It was a dull fortnight for ad commercials — perhaps due to the confusion created by the new self-declaration certification norms. Some works of new brands, however, caught the eye.…

Adrian Mendonza has joined Rediffusion as a senior national creative resource. He will oversee creatives for the agency’s North India operations. He will be based in Delhi. Mendonza, who most…

Cheil X, part of Cheil SWA group, has adopted a new visual identity and philosophy which takes its muse from the agency’s Korean heritage. Cheil X is an independent full-service…

With India’s triumphant T20 World Cup win, the ongoing UEFA European Football Championship and Tour de France, and the impending Paris Olympics, I had to do a ‘sports’ column this…

In February 2011, when the ODI World Cup was on, a friend who heads the South Asian operations of a Dutch tech company had some visitors from the Netherlands at…

Think Ram Madhvani and most people would instantly recollect Sushmita Sen’s Aarya or Neerja — the sensitive biopic on the brave flight purser. But for ad folks, Madhvani is synonymous…

“India has been praying for years with Cycle brand agarbathies, and now the brand aims to be the country’s puja room brand,” declares Arjun M Ranga, Managing Director of N…

My wife and I were in Coimbatore recently. While in this city, there is a place that I will never miss visiting. The legendary Annapoorna Hotel. This time, I ate…

In a world where creativity is facing an imminent threat from AI, data and technology, Cannes Lions 2024 has been a celebration of creativity powered by these very seeming threats.…

As ad folk networked alongside the azure blue Mediterranean sea, sunny beaches and glamorous yachts, the talk that dominated the festival of creativity this year was all about AI, Olympics…

Day marketing dominated the ads of last fortnight with Father’s Day eliciting a rush of campaigns. Pride Month and World Music Day came in for brand love too. Ode to…

The moment you think of a uniform, the first image to enter your mind would be a school uniform. You immediately see rows of children standing for morning assembly, with…

Retailers witnessed sluggish demand in May amidst elections, but are betting on a better second half. May sales were mostly led by essentials and consumer durables, including a strong demand…

Disney+ Hotstar has launched an advertising feature for pausing ads exclusively for its Connected TV (CTV) feed, making it the first platform in the country to introduce this cutting-edge format.…

If there’s one object that has revolutionised the Indian middle-class living room, it’s the television — also known as the “idiot box”. More than just an appliance, the TV became…

Is the ad and media community adapting to disruptive changes fast enough? The onslaught of technology, new consumer behaviours, changing equations with clients who increasingly treat them more like vendors…

At any given point if you log into social media platforms, you will see people ranting about the customer service of some brand or the other. It is the biggest…

Food delivery app Zomato recently introduced a new feature that suggests “healthier options” when customers select food items. For instance it will suggest roti, instead of naan, and if you…

ITC Grand Chola has organised a gastronomic celebration at Madras Pavilion to commemorate World Environment Day. The event will feature a curated selection of heirloom rice cultivated through time-honoured farming…

The Mumbai billboard crash has shaken up the advertising industry. Will brands be reluctant to spend on the outdoor medium now? Even as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) seeks structural…

The 2024 edition of the ad and media festival Goafest will see a lot of focus on skilling and training. Goafest has entered into a strategic partnership with D&AD, an…

This fortnight a print ad overshadowed all the TVCs, becoming the talk of the town. As IPL draws to a close, cricket continued to be a big theme. Clever bites…

My wife and I were travelling in Meghalaya a few weeks ago. We visited Shillong and then we went to Cherrapunji in the East Khasi hills. These were mesmerising locations,…

It’s a rainy morning in Chennai, unusual during the peak heat of May. Ajoy Chawla, the CEO of Tanishq, is on a quick trip for a market visit to the…

With its adjustable handle, trolley wheels and lightweight exterior, the suitcase evokes style, and more importantly, the dream of a destination. With it by your side, you could be visiting…

How to manage the marketing communication strategies for a brand that is sold all over the world? I do a session titled ‘Adopt, Adapt, Create’ at B Schools and it…

A few days back, an AI-generated video featuring Mamata Banerjee made waves on social media, prompting the killjoy Kolkata Police to send a warning to the creator — which made…

Meet anyone in the recruiting industry and the constant lament is how finding the right-fit candidate is very tough. Could it be the fault of the job ads they are…

If there’s one object that symbolises the Indian middle-class pre-liberalisation, it is the scooter for sure. Scooter was not just a typical two-wheeler for the middle class, it gave wings…

Advertisers love mothers — after all they wield undue influence in the shopping decision. Millions of ads have been made portraying mothers recommending everything from tea to detergent. So it’s…

It’s been ten years since the DDB Group bought out 22feet, a fast growing independent digital agency (named interestingly after the size of our small intestine to denote its gutsiness)…

I recently began using a Mont Blanc Meisterstück fountain pen. It is a pleasure to write with, and its overall look and feel is so beautiful. Whenever I write with…

Goafest, the premier event of the advertising and marketing community is back — but this time in Mumbai. The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and The Advertising Club have…

When the shoe does not fit, it’s time to rethink size measures! And that’s what is happening in India. There may soon be a new sizing system called ‘Bha’ to…

In a world where convenience reigns supreme, the evolution of technology has led us down a path where every aspect of our lives is meticulously controlled by a single, omnipotent…

The advent of summer has seen brands at their light-hearted best. Quirky scenarios and humorous dialogues are being used to deliver summer laughs and the brand message.  The cool Waah…

With just a few days to go for the first phase of #GeneralElections2024 to begin, every politician worth his salt or her sugar is out campaigning. Physically and virtually. In…

There was homage to history. There was homage to grapes and wine and misty hills. There was homage to Indian capability. Last week, when the world’s largest selling whisky brand,…

The start of the financial year has seen brands get off to a great start with several good campaigns flooding the screens. Some of these, like Ariel, are annual iterations…

It’s just over a month since Babita Baruah took charge as the CEO of VML India. For Baruah, who was leading WPP’s Ford business for several international markets and serving as…

As symphonic as the ‘tring-tring’ of the telephone, and the ‘ding dong’ of the doorbell, is the whistle (Seeti) from a pressure cooker in an Indian home. The trademark sound…

Guess who is hitting the jackpot on India’s start-up street? Their films might be hit or miss, but Bollywood celebrities are finding huge success with the brands they are co-creating.…

Publicis India is ramping up its creative leadership. It has appointed Aman Mannan and Shitu Patil as joint National Creative Directors (NCDs). The duo will lead the creative vision for…

International influencer marketing agency YKONE has announced it is acquiring 70 per cent stake in Indian content and influencer marketing agency Barcode. For the Paris headquartered YKONE, founded in 2008…