Campaign India

AI, PR, and the battle for relevance: Archetype’s big bet

With the PR vertical facing budget cuts and a talent crunch, Archetype CEO Helena Maus outlines how AI-driven tools like Delve could reshape media measurement and agency strategy.

Snap AR ads are not interruptions; they have become invitations: Resh Sidhu

The global director of Arcadia AR Creative Studio says AR is a powerful engagement tool, with four out of five brands on Snap seeing significant results.

Franklin Templeton courts change—but will women and young investors commit?

With #ChangeTheSoch and ‘Date A Mutual Fund,’ the brand bets on social shifts and Gen Z’s investment mindset—will it pay off?

Diversity is not a checkbox—This PR agency proves why

Mumbai’s Connekting Dots is rewriting PR’s rulebook with an all-women team, tackling industry biases while proving talent—not gender—drives success.

Portfolio Evenings: Breaking bias, building talent

These events aren’t just about showcasing creativity—they’re shaping a more diverse future. By nurturing young talent, the ad industry can finally close its gender gap.

Amazon MX Player bets on shoppable videos and AI to disrupt India’s streaming market

The platform is blending content, commerce, and AI-driven ads to dominate India's streaming space—in a bid to reshape how brands engage audiences.

Target’s secret weapon? India’s role in its ad empire

With over 5,000 team members in India, Target in India is using deep data insights and AI-powered tools to refine Roundel’s high-return ad strategy.

Why is PVMA missing ‘U’?

The temporary rebranding to ‘PVMA’ signals its entry into badminton, backed by a collaboration with PV Sindhu—a strategic activation that highlights the sport’s rising importance in Indian sports marketing.

India’s brew boom: How coffee brands are winning over young consumers

Crafting a coffee culture, they blend innovation and community, using experiential marketing to engage Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences.

Silver economy reimagined: Breaking stereotypes in marketing to seniors

Tapping senior citizens' digital fluency, independence, and evolving aspirations, marketers are leaning towards tailored campaigns that resonate with this demography.

DPDP’s parental consent chaos: The latest hurdle for marketers

Navigating the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act's draft rules on children’s data poses steep compliance challenges for ad agencies. Campaign finds out what’s at stake.

Work less, deliver more: Why the 90-hour workweek debate misses the mark

Overwork isn’t a badge of honour—it’s a sign of flawed workplace culture. How should agencies refocus on productivity instead?

Faith meets commerce: Maha Kumbh’s brand opportunity

This once-in-12-years event offers brands unparalleled reach, but navigating its cultural sensitivities requires nuanced and mindful strategies.

Annapurna Studios elevates Indian filmmaking with Dolby-certified facility

The new postproduction hub redefines cinematic standards, offering select advertising collaborations with a focus on high-budget, innovative campaigns.

Social media fatigue? Agencies must spark conversations, not noise

Campaign finds out how they can avoid risking digital irrelevance by crafting campaigns that inspire authentic audience dialogue, blending creativity with insights.

LS Digital unveils DataQuark business unit

EXCLUSIVE: It turns fragmented data into AI-driven insights, helping brands personalise campaigns, optimise media spend, and enhance customer engagement across platforms.

Standard Chartered picks up the tab for affluent Indians

By blending localised marketing, digital personalisation, and RM-driven engagement, it is fast-tracking its $200 billion Net New Money goal.

Kaizzen enters public affairs, makes a play in policy landscape

With India's evolving regulatory landscape, the agency’s expansion into public affairs is aimed at bridging the gap between businesses and policymakers through strategic advocacy.

JioStar helps advertisers to balance reach with performance, optimising every rupee: Ishan Chatterjee

While IPL 2025’s scale is undeniable, JioStar’s focus is on deeper engagement, delivering richer, more immersive experiences for both viewers and advertisers, says its chief business officer.

Ikea’s India play: Why online comes before the big store

The retailer flips its global strategy in India, launching online-first to tap into digital-savvy shoppers and decode evolving consumer preferences.

Social Panga launches The Viral Union to ace influencer marketing’s next big test

As brands demand clearer ROI and influencers pushing for fair pay, this new division from the integrated creative and digital marketing agency aims to redefine partnerships in India’s creator economy.

Shemaroo’s blockchain bet: From passive viewers to active participants

By leveraging PWR Chain, the media company is tackling piracy, enhancing engagement, and unlocking new revenue models through blockchain-powered transparency.

How BBDO plans to rewrite the rules of creativity with ‘Do Big Things’

With its first global repositioning in 30 years, the Omnicom Group’s creative agency is shifting from ‘The Work’ to campaigns that drives cultural and business impact.

The CMO’s MO: Rishi Mathur reckons that digital offers better ROI

Canara HSBC Life Insurance’s CMO doubles down on digital, storytelling, and influencers to bust myths and build trust in insurance.

When your ex gets married, Fastrack has you covered

INSIDE THE AD: Fastrack’s latest campaign ditches provocation for playful humour, proving that a sharp concept—not star power—can make an ad land.

SW Growth Labs goes all in on ROI-driven marketing evolution

SW Network’s new vertical merges data, media, and creativity to help brands navigate fragmented marketing landscapes and drive measurable growth.

50,000 businesses, one goal: Gallabox looks at powering customer engagement at scale

As traditional channels lose steam, brands are rethinking customer conversations and the SaaS company is helping businesses turn WhatsApp into a sales and marketing powerhouse.

1000 Media: Can Nas Daily’s storytelling magic shake up Indian marketing?

Nuseir Yassin’s latest digital marketing company bets on fast, AI-powered, emotion-driven storytelling to help brands break through digital clutter—starting with India.

From finfluencers to insiders: How Equentis is owning trust

INSIDE THE AD: With SEBI cracking down on external endorsers, the wealth advisory services company is turning its CXOs and employees into brand ambassadors—building credibility from within.

LinkedIn bets big on news with ‘News Banner’ test in India

As traditional platforms scale back on news, LinkedIn is stepping up—aiming to offer brands, publishers, and professionals a trusted, engagement-driven space.

GroupM’s TYNY 2025: India’s advertising market to grow 7%, digital dominance continues

The report estimated that the market is set to reach Rs 1,64,137 crore in 2025, adding an incremental Rs 10,730 crore.

Better Nut reinvents pistachios as urban consumer’s grab-and-go snack

The Wonderful Pistachios’ campaign marries nostalgia with modern health, transforming pistachios into a must-have munch for time-starved buyers.

Farming for change: How innovative marketing is reshaping India's agricultural landscape

From fields to social media feeds, creative campaigns, regional influencers and digital storytelling are changing agricultural marketing in India.

The multi-screen juggle: How brands keep up with Gen Z

Today’s consumers seamlessly switch between mobile, CTV, and DOOH. Adtech firms are decoding cross-platform strategies to keep brands relevant everywhere.

Talentrack's marketplace model rethinks content production in India's media boom

Connecting over 7 lakh creators with 15,000 producers and agencies, the talent-engagement platform bridges gaps in India's M&E sector but faces scalability tests.

Sliding into hearts: How Ludic’s humour balances comfort and style

In a world of fleeting attention spans, the footwear brand’s witty campaign blends nostalgia and relatability to make comfort a standout story.

The CMO’s MO: Lupin’s Sourabh Agrawal believes that creativity thrives beyond big budgets

The pharma firm’s executive vice president–sales and marketing says Gen AI levels the field, making smart deployment of innovative ideas the key to success.

RK Swamy bets on strategy amid shrinking ad spends

India’s only listed marcomms group takes a consulting turn—launching a brand strategy unit to counter profit dips, global rivals, and client belt-tightening.

LinkedIn’s BrandLink bets on resonance over reach

Video may be B2B’s new darling, but LinkedIn’s BrandLink is selling context, not cheap clicks—marketers and publishers take note.

Not your agency, not yet SaaS: BrandPipal picks a third lane

The new venture incubated by NLB Services bets on Marketing-as-a-Service to cut through bloated retainers, fragmented teams, and creative-tech silos. The model? Modular, measurable, and built for scale.

How ASICS India is turning footprints into funnel metrics

From gait scans to geo-targeted ads, the sporting goods group laces together tech, retail, and events to chase India’s growing base of runners.

Marketing to machines: When bots become the target audience

As agentic AI retools the customer journey, Netcore’s founder and MD, Rajesh Jain, explains why marketers must now influence not just humans — but also the autonomous algorithms deciding on their behalf.

WPP eyes India for growth as global revenue faces headwinds

CEO Mark Read outlines AI strategy, India expansion, and four focus areas at WAVES 2025.

RCS muscles into India’s messaging game: Agencies can’t sit this out

With Apple poised to back RCS, richer brand conversations are no longer optional. Martech is ready; creativity and strategy must catch up.

India’s big creative pitch: Now streaming to the world

WAVES 2025 was less summit, more sales deck—India positioned as the next global content factory, so who’s buying the dream?

IPL ads: High stakes, low recall, and smarter plays

As IPL ad spends soar, marketers face a hard truth—visibility alone doesn’t cut it. It's time to optimise for attention, not airtime.

Can BHIM’s emotional pivot win the trust battle in digital payments?

In a bid to regain cultural relevance and user trust, BHIM 3.0 ditches cashback clichés for emotional storytelling—and aims for behavioural change, not just downloads.

Ad block party: Can Google’s AI shut the gate early?

The tech major’s new AI-led regime is pushing ad vetting upstream, giving agencies cleaner inventory but demanding sharper compliance and smarter creative.

The curious case of Gangoogly: How Bare Bones bowled a digital doosra for Google Search

INSIDE THE AD: IPL ad clutter is real—this Google campaign dodges it with snackable trivia, UI smarts, and a behavioural nudge, not nostalgia.

Can sound make you taste spice? 7UP thinks so

INSIDE THE AD: A fizzy experiment in sonic seasoning, 7UP’s Spotify campaign taps science, culture, and Gen Z cravings to reshape FMCG playbooks.

Bats, reels, and buys: The new IPL media mix

From creator collabs to AR chefs, IPL 2025 proves brands must chase relevance across memes, match breaks, and micro-moments—not just media buys.

Shaadi, skins and synergy: BGMI’s campaign ups the game

Krafton India turns a gamer couple’s virtual wedding into a cultural campaign, reframing BGMI as a space for real-world connection

Canva's not-so-casual pivot to campaign command

Design tool? Think again. The latest Canva Create rollout pushes into campaign creation, content localisation, and AI-powered production workflows—at scale.

Match over, ads on: How YouTube gets IPL fans to keep scrolling

As cricket pivots to nonstop content, Shubha Pai of YouTube Sales and Solutions, Google India, urges brands to rethink IPL playbooks across screens, formats, and fandoms.

Whodunit by algorithm: Is AI the new auteur?

INSIDE THE AD: Lenovo’s AI-driven thriller grabs millions of eyeballs—but as machines aid imagination, can advertising keep its human edge intact?

Admattic’s India bet: Profits, people, and IPO prep

Performance marketer formalises India entry, banking on local customisation, AI muscle, and digital ad tailwinds to fuel future growth.

Tariff tantrums: When trade wars hit ad budgets

US President Donald Trump’s all-out tariff strike may play to politics, but it’s marketers and advertisers who’ll now have to brace for budget whiplash.

AI voices in advertising: Amplifying creativity or diminishing authenticity?

As AI-generated voices gain ground in media and marketing, ElevenLabs’ Siddharth Srinivasan believes that brands must decide—will AI enhance storytelling, or dilute the human touch in advertising?

AB InBev India moves beyond sponsorships—Betting big on owned festivals

Globally, AB InBev invested $7.2 billion in sales and marketing in FY24, focusing on strengthening its mega brands and building brand equity in high-growth markets like India.

AI’s gender gap: The blind spot in media innovation

Without diverse teams, AI risks reinforcing stereotypes in advertising. Can the industry afford to ignore half the talent pool?

Bar takeovers: Clever buzz or a long-term brand play?

Pop-ups and guest shifts may pack restaurants for a night, but can they drive sustained brand loyalty and revenue? The answer lies in strategy.

Pepsi moments don’t wait—and neither do we: Cathy Graham Kidd

With ‘Anytime is Pepsi Time,’ Pepsi’s senior brand director unpacks the brand’s global playbook, cultural agility, and the art of real-time marketing.

Can nostalgia-powered marketing make Yas Island India’s go-to getaway?

INSIDE THE AD: Tapping into 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’s' legacy, the entertainment and leisure destination in Abu Dhabi is betting on nostalgia and star power to woo Indian travellers. Will it work?

Paddy’s new bet: Another indie shop in a crowded market

Santosh Padhi’s Into Creative enters an adland shaped by consolidation, digital shifts, and indie resurgence. Will its Big Directional Idea stand out?

Brand banter or brand blunder? The fine line in cola wars

Reactive advertising keeps brands in the cultural conversation, but does it build loyalty or just fuel fleeting buzz? As Pepsi and Coke trade jabs, the debate over competitive advertising’s true impact continues.

HRIPL’s do-or-dye marketing approach to mask India’s greying concerns

As urban consumers embrace bold shades, the FMCG company is betting on personalisation, affordability, and digital tools to get rural markets to join this colour brigade.

CCI raids raise questions on advertising ethics in India

The recent raids on GroupM, Publicis, Dentsu and IPG have put newfound regulatory heat on top agencies, raising uncomfortable questions about price-fixing, market dominance, and the future of media buying in India.

Lollapalooza: A cultural investment for brands, not just a sponsorship

Brands are increasingly viewing live event marketing as an effective way to generate engagement, moving beyond placing their sponsorship logo on a banner.

Ads everywhere, impact nowhere? Navigating the new media maze

With advertising infiltrating every touchpoint, brands face a paradox—unmatched reach yet growing fragmentation. Can they balance scale, quality, and relevance?

The LinkedIn pitch frenzy: Meritocracy or marketing stunt?

Brands are crowdsourcing agencies on LinkedIn, turning selection into a pitching ferment. But is this a shortcut to innovation or a race to the bottom?

IPL ads get a data makeover: What it means for brands

JioStar and Nielsen’s audience measurement shake-up brings IPL advertisers closer to real-time insights, reshaping digital ad strategies for 2025.

Gender bias in ads costs more than just reputation—It hits revenue

Gender inclusivity isn’t optional—it’s essential. Brands that embed equity into their DNA don’t just sell products; they reshape cultural narratives.

Coach’s AI-powered handbags take a swing at a fashion revolution

By harnessing Adobe Firefly’s generative AI, Tapestry is redefining handbag design—scaling creativity while maintaining brand integrity.

Skechers Walkathon set to step beyond Mumbai

The company is also mulling launching product lines associated with its brand ambassadors.

Retail One kiosks put Nestlé’ Professional’s growth recipe to test

From hospitals, colleges to corporate parks, these outlets blur the line between distribution and marketing, testing whether novelty can sustain consumer loyalty.

Madison Media folds HiveMinds fully into its playbook

The agency bets on integrating brand and performance marketing, but must navigate pricing pressure, talent scarcity and commoditisation risks.

GST simplification raises stakes for festive marketers

The overhaul trims rates on essentials and mid-range durables, but brands now face the challenge of turning sentiment into sales.

Kempegowda International Airport hits the play button on sonic branding

It unveils Rhythm of BLR, a sonic identity adapted from Ricky Kej’s anthem, adding sound to brand strategy in transit hubs.

Spotify tunes up for programmatic advertising push

With The Trade Desk tie-up and new AI tools, the streaming platform positions premium audio as a measurable, scalable rival to social and video.

Havas brings Gate One to India as consulting market heats up

With the consulting market set to touch $16 billion by 2030, the holding company’s transformation arm bets on a nimble, outcome-led model to challenge entrenched rivals in India.

D’Moksha enters India with curtains as first act

The sustainable home décor brand, now co-led by Shailendra Singh, eyes Mumbai as launchpad for tackling India’s $1.5 billion curtain market.

Festive ad rush puts Amazon’s new tools to test

As Diwali shoppers plan bigger spends and seek new brands, Amazon Ads bets on generative AI and self-serve video to woo marketers.

Can the Founders Circle change the game for India’s independent agencies?

Will The Advertising Club Bangalore’s initiative finally give independent agencies in the region a seat at the table?

Marketers face new test: Many channels, little time

From WhatsApp nudges to email campaigns and push notifications, marketers are juggling multiple communication touchpoints. Yet most admit that their orchestration is fragmented at best.

Mascots, markets and metrics: Australia’s tourism bet

Tourism Australia’s AUD $225 million global push leans on mascots and local talent. But, arrivals, not awareness, will prove success.

AI makes space for risk — if creatives dare take it

Landor’s global chief creative officer Teemu Suviala argues efficiency should fuel experimentation, not sameness, as advertising wrestles with AI, data obsession and risk aversion.

India’s app boom tests advertising’s Google–Meta habit

Despite surging app usage across gaming, entertainment and AI, a Moloco report outlines that most ad budgets still orbit two tech giants. The returns lie elsewhere.

Aquatein’s growth plan mixes wellness with numbers game

With actor Suniel Shetty’s investment and recent rebrand, the functional nutritional startup juggles storytelling, retail expansion, and the discipline of CAC and ROAS, while eying INR 50 crore revenue.

Tattooed logos and untouched legacies: Tally’s branding paradox

The software company is balancing legacy loyalty with Gen Z expectations while navigating B2B marketing through incremental brand refreshes.

Dentsu bets on podcasting as India’s audio market matures

Amidst tightening margins worldwide, the global holding company launches a podcast network in India to test audio’s value in branded storytelling.

Pipes get a punchline as Ashirvad by Aliaxis rethinks the sell

The company swaps product-heavy plumbing ads for humour and cultural hooks, aiming to stand out in a crowded $7.4 billion market.

When Prime Video ads guess your mood before you watch

WPP OpenDoor’s latest campaigns swap ‘because you watched’ for mood-led recommendations, using AI to pair streaming suggestions with emotions — and even food orders.

Aura is not just another AI tool, it chases deadlines too

Claiming to slash production time, not brand value, ^a t o m Network’s new AI-driven creative engine promises speed and strategic smarts for tired marketers.

From AI beats to brand streets: FYI.AI’s big sync for Qualcomm

Grammy award winner will.i.am and Qualcomm team up to turn devices into mood-aware music players, conversational radios, and ad-driven commerce engines.

"AI is not eating your lunch; AI is your lunch"

Henry Cowling and Ketan Desai of .Monks unpack why the ad industry is moving beyond the billable hour — an increasingly outdated metric in the age of AI-driven workflows.

Airtel Payments Bank’s ‘Safe Second Account’ urges digital caution

INSIDE THE AD: In a market obsessed with speed and cashback, Airtel Payments Bank’s latest campaign urges Indians to slow down—and bank smarter.

Spotify turns down the noise on AI-generated music

With deepfakes, duplicates and data farms flooding audio platforms, Spotify rolls out tougher rules to protect authenticity, royalties and trust.

Foxtale reframes glow as agency, not obligation

Animal’s campaign swaps beauty tropes for lived moments, using narrative-first storytelling to test skincare’s place in a performance-driven digital economy.

Landor’s coolest test: When a garment becomes a brand bet

Saudia’s high-tech Ihram shows how brand promises are being stress-tested—beyond Cannes gimmicks—into $770 million markets with measurable scale.

GST 2.0 and the festive economy: When policy meets consumer sentiment

For India’s brands, retailers, and households, the reworked GST 2.0 is more than a tax reform—it is the spark for a new cycle of domestic consumption.

Saransh Goila partners with Ember, choosing equity over endorsement in cookware play

The celebrity chef joins the cookware brand as investor-partner, steering innovation and marketing in a category dominated by rival chef brands and reliant on costly traditional media.

Travel signals redefined as India becomes advertisers’ new test market

Unpromptd joins forces with Agoda to pitch travel intent as a premium proxy for consumer demand, pushing brands to rethink digital spends.

Schneider Electric puts its power behind changing perceptions of ‘smart’ spaces

With cricket jerseys, AI-powered campaigns and factory automation, it is betting that India can turn electricals from a utility into a lifestyle — and a growth engine.

YouTube doubles down on AI, brand deals and creator tools

As it layers AI across nearly every product surface, the platform is betting that automation and insight will deepen its hold over creators and advertisers alike.

Turning music catalogues into brands with cultural currency

From Stevie Nicks’ Barbie to Whitney Houston’s MAC line, Primary Wave shows how legacy IP can anchor brands in contemporary culture.

Pinterest’s India vision board spotlights Gen Z, intent discovery and festive moments

At its first advertiser summit in Mumbai, the social media platform outlined its India strategy, alongside its global partner, Aleph.

World Gold Council reframes jewellery for everyday identity

INSIDE THE AD: BBDO India’s ‘The Moment is Gold’ campaign shifts the messaging from ceremonial milestones to micro-moments, targeting Gen Z and millennial buyers.

Can founder branding be more than just PR 2.0?

As consumers demand authenticity, startups test whether founder-led storytelling builds long-term trust or risks becoming a fleeting PR façade.

India’s consumers redraw the map of aspiration

Hakuhodo’s latest study shows Indians shifting from duty-bound families to friendships, self-indulgence and optimism—reshaping consumption and creativity.

New Zealand trades filters for footfalls in India push

With NZ$13.5 million in its kitty, Tourism New Zealand’s new campaign courts India’s 15 million travel-intent audience with precision marketing.

AI’s double-click: More speed, less soul?

Adobe’s 2025 India snapshot shows enterprises winning on AI ROI — but creative integrity, data cracks, and trust still demand attention.

Razorpay hands over the mic, not the message

The fintech’s marketing strategy skips the spotlight to elevate entrepreneurs—swapping product plugs for startup storytelling across hoardings, IPL, and beyond.

Meta's fraud fight goes creator-first

Meta teams up with Safer Internet India to launch a creator-led push against online scams, frauds and fake schemes.

From cricket to kabaddi, Fuse maps India’s next fan frontier, preps to launch Ignite

With athlete-led content, AI-driven insights, and regional white spaces, Fuse CEO Louise Johnson outlines a playbook for brands eyeing fandom-fuelled growth in India’s $650 billion sports economy.

Dentsu discloses, CCI investigates: India’s adland faces reckoning over alleged rate-fixing

Despite the attention surrounding the investigation, some remain sceptical about whether it will result in lasting change.

MiQ Sigma wants to make media chaos marketable

In India’s fragmented programmatic landscape, the newly-launched platform from MiQ pitches unified signals, AI personas, and brand-safe guardrails as the new media playbook.

Rainbow-washing or real allyship? Brands face a pride reckoning

In the era of scrutiny and cancel culture, Pride campaigns can't rely on rainbow logos and hashtags—authentic allyship demands year-round creative accountability.

KIT Global pushes ‘minimum viable data’ for smarter marketing

CEO Olga Dulinskaya explains why brands need less data, sharper personalisation, and unified platforms to navigate emerging markets.

Dentsu Lab in India trades innovation theatre for rapid prototypes

With creative R&D under scrutiny, the newly-launched hubs promise low-risk, high-impact solutions that move beyond quick marketing hacks.

Indie agencies rewrite the media playbook in APAC

COMvergence data reveals independents thriving on agility and outcomes, even as WPP Media tightens its grip on India.

All advertising has to become more accountable: Rahul Vasudev

Scibids’ APAC VP says brands now seek metrics beyond reach, linking video and reach-based ads to lower-funnel impact.

Hiring without the hustle: SuperStuff.ai rewires marketing talent

The startup is tackling adland’s broken hiring pipelines with AI, proof-of-work portfolios, and on-demand creative expertise.

Brands, bots and the battle for trust: What Linda Yaccarino's exit means for X

As X merges deeper with xAI and CEO Linda Yaccarino steps away, brands are left grappling with a platform that seems less like a media network and more like a volatile AI lab.

When devotion is the medium, don’t just sell the message

At Jagannath Yatra 2025, brands swapped slogans for seva—balancing commercial ambition with cultural caution in high-emotion territory.

Cannes Lions tightens reins as AI blurs boundaries

After revoked wins and synthetic scandals, Cannes Lions introduces new integrity rules to verify claims and rein in AI misuse.

Snapdragon steps out: From chipset to checkout counter

Qualcomm India's head of marketing, Sumit Sonal, explains how it has ditched the spec sheet to woo consumers through cricket, creators, and culturally-coded storytelling.

Green isn’t a colour — it’s a claim you prove

As eco-fatigue sets in, brands faking green credentials risk losing more than trust — they risk losing the plot entirely.

Amazon’s Beautyverse blends content, commerce and cart nudges

With creators, AI tools and Prime Day synergy, the ecommerce platform is crafting a conversion-first beauty playbook for India’s digital-first consumers.

Theblurr bets big on AI to redraw agency rules

The newly-launched AI-native marketing agency promises faster pods, sharper outcomes and no more media-creative silos—or excuses.

Cheques, challenges and change: Why VC still misses the mark

At Cannes Lions, a panel on health equity spotlighted why 2% VC funding for women isn’t just outdated—it’s bad business.

Pride is over — now it’s culture or bust

2025 is about ditching rainbow-washed campaigns and making inclusion a deep, year-round business strategy.

Amazon’s Andy Jassy is Cannes Lions’ 2025 Media Person of the Year

Past honourees include erstwhile YouTube CEO Salar Kamangar, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, former Google chairman Eric Schmidt, Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

Why Zee5’s language-first bet may be its best yet

As India’s OTT battle intensifies, the streaming platform goes hyperlocal with tech-backed storytelling and tier-2 targeting.

Scroll-stopping or scroll-past? The 2.5-second ad dilemma

As Gen Z rewires the attention economy, brands are trading static ads for AR, creators and bite-sized storytelling to stay in the frame.

MS Dhoni moves to trademark 'Captain Cool' moniker

The cricketer seeks exclusive rights to ‘Captain Cool’, as celebrity trademarks become essential assets in brand-led marketing ecosystems.

Rob Reilly at Cannes 2025: Why advertising needs better PR (and even better ideas)

WPP’s Global CCO on zero mentality, AI acceleration, creative reinvention and why the ad industry should finally start marketing itself

Canva plugs MagicBrief into the creative feedback loop

By acquiring MagicBrief, Canva is blending AI-powered insights with real-time design iteration—turning creative guesswork into scalable, data-backed storytelling for enterprise teams.

Havas backs AI bet with €100 million a year

From launching Vermeer at Cannes to revamping operations with Converged.AI, it is wagering €400 million that AI can future-proof creativity.

Big ideas, not big algorithms, will win Cannes

At Cannes 2025, Adobe’s Shantanu Narayen and Publicis’ Arthur Sadoun unpacked why AI may power creativity—but humans still pilot it.

Creatives, meet your new colleague: AI

It works nights, weekends and doesn’t bill by the hour. Should the creative fraternity be worried much?

When kids call the shots, itinerary becomes insight

INSIDE THE AD: Abu Dhabi’s ‘Kids Recommended’ campaign taps data, AI and child-led co-creation to rewrite the family travel playbook for Indian marketers.

Pepsi’s ‘Stiiiiing’ shows culture beats branding

By letting a raw F1 moment become a meme, PepsiCo signals a future where culture drives campaigns—not logos.

My11Circle doubles down on data, distraction and the dugout

From AI-fuelled personalisation to nostalgia hits and data-fuelled retargeting, My11Circle’s IPL blitz reveals how fantasy gaming is evolving beyond celebrity ads and into performance-led marketing theatre.

From cookies to clicks: ITC Foods’ multi-speed marketing play

The FMCG major blends premium biscuits, rural strategy, and data-fuelled media to navigate inflation, q-commerce, and shifting consumer behaviour—all without choosing sides.

Middlemen, meet martech: Brands sync trade and consumer playbooks

In a market that demands cohesion across channels and stakeholders, B2B2C brands are using martech to unify messaging, boost conversions, and keep both intermediaries and consumers equally engaged.

IPG Mediabrands India bets on dual leadership amid global flux

As Omnicom eyes IPG, India becomes a focal point for futureproofing portfolios, with Sinha and Singh leading a hybrid strategy of digital depth and institutional continuity.

Slack’s new hustle: From free chats to paid productivity

With AI agents, structured integrations, and Slack Connect, Salesforce bets on transforming Slack from a chat tool into a marketer’s operating system.

Monsoon rains force brands to rethink festive advertising

As unseasonal downpours disrupt Durga Puja and Ganesh Chaturthi, agencies shift from rain-washed billboards to digital-first storytelling and contingency-led campaign planning.

Meta links AI video with India’s festive shopping surge

As Meta rolls out Vibes and its Digital Utsav playbook, the company positions AI tools at the heart of India’s festive commerce.

Creators aren't the destination; they're often a launching point: Edelman’s Tristan Roy

As AI scales, Edelman’s president of Integrated Solutions and Delivery believes that the real battle is protecting trust and originality. In 2026, integration is inevitable, but integrity is not optional.

Daawat's World Biryani Day campaign spices up India's love for the dish

Biryani is not just a dish in India, it is a harbinger of celebrations. Rice brand LT Foods' annual World Biryani Day raises a toast to the fare, and has successfully added a third spike to Google search trends for the meal, which usually occurs around Eid and the festive season.

Under Armour's latest campaign with Neeraj Chopra highlights the paybacks of persistence

Tushar Goculdas, managing director of Underdog Athletics, chats to Campaign about what it takes to craft a brand ambassador-centric marketing strategy, the launch of the new 'Zidd' campaign, and why he's keen to build a brand that champions athletes with authenticity.

The CMO’s MO: In a world of information overload, emotional intelligence cuts through the clutter—Partho Banerjee

Maruti Suzuki India's senior executive officer of marketing and sales balances brand perception with customer expectations to deliver the right messages to its target audience.

Cannes Lions Diary: Updates from the French Riviera

An inside view of industry happenings at Cannes Lions 2024, from the lens of a newbie.

When an ad winningly targets the nose, not the eyes

Swiggy Instamart’s recent ad is a prime illustration of leveraging scent marketing to establish a memorable brand identity.

Mira Kapoor seeks to spark honest conversations for Akind skincare brand

She wants to capture user attention by having authentic chats with buyers rather than bank on her celebrity status.

Confusion prevails after Supreme Court instructs advertisers, agencies to provide self-declaration certificate

While in the dark about implementing the mandate, industry stakeholders also feel that the two-week buffer period to get acquainted with the process is inadequate.

Instagram launches Creator Lab in India, expands support for aspiring creators

Building on its ‘Born on Instagram’ programme, this new initiative features around 14 creators sharing their experiences and insights, including valuable lessons from their journeys.

Schbang strengthens international footprint with acquisition of Addikt, eyes European expansion

Talking to Campaign, Schbang's founder Harshil Karia explains the agency's strategic European play with its first global acquisition.

super.money’s campaign targets UPI frustration with real cash, not coupons

super.money's first ad slams rival UPI rewards, promising real cashback over coupons. In an exclusive chat with Campaign, its founder shares if this bold move can win frustrated users.

Banking on sound: Ujjivan's sonic strategy for financial inclusion

INSIDE THE AD: Can the financial institution’s auditory approach yield lasting results?

The CMO’s MO: The digital frontier; that's where innovation meets consumer connection—Snehil Gautam

The chief growth and marketing officer at Housing.com, Makaan and PropTiger.com, offers insights into the ever-evolving online world, increasing scope of AI in branding and marketing operations, and the changing consumer preferences.

We are swimming in a sea of data and drowning in the lack of intelligence: Adobe’s Richard Whitehead

As AI-driven tools reshape global marketing strategies, Adobe has set its sights on India’s dynamic agency landscape, but will smaller players buy in? The company’s director for product marketing spills the beans to Campaign.

Britannia’s equal parenting campaign: Does it hit the right spot?

INSIDE THE AD: Now in its third year, the brand’s Milk Bikis ads, featuring actor Pankaj Tripathi, champion equal parenting—but is it sparking change or just riding a trendy wave?

The CMO’s MO: Rahul Talwar provides insights on AI, sustainability, and brand building

The chief marketing officer at Max Life Insurance shares how artificial intelligence can be leveraged to democratise creative process, craft high-impact campaigns, and improve customer experiences.

Exclusive: Akanksha Seda joins Good Morning Films as director, strengthens creative team

Formerly with Nineteen Films, she joins the four other directors at the Mumbai production house.

The CMO’s MO: Gaurav Ramdev’s marketing strategy rests on three pillars—creativity, growth-orientation, and discipline

The chief growth and marketing officer at Protean eGov Technologies provides fresh perspectives on marketing RoI, building a culture of winning, and promoting sustainability.

LS Digital expands global footprint with US push and strategic acquisitions

Charting an ambitious expansion plan, the integrated digital marketing company launched a joint venture with US-based .fearless.

Growing acceptance for ads on streaming platforms is win-win for all: Magnite’s Gavin Buxton

The sell-side advertising company’s managing director for Asia shares his insights with Campaign on navigating OTT and CTV complexities, leveraging live sports, and the future of ad-supported streaming in India.

The CMO's MO: Udit Agarwal weaves AI magic to boost Exotel's marketing impact

Exotel’s global marketing head explains how gen AI’s smart orchestration makes personalised, cost-effective customer interactions a breeze, revolutionising engagement for businesses big and small.

Cashfree sprints with 'Move Fast' to gain a toe-hold in fintech's crowded lane

EXCLUSIVE: On the eve of its 10-year anniversary, the startup decided to embark on a brand refresh with a campaign that is headlined by actor Rajkummar Rao.

Free visas or clever data play? Atlys’ honeymoon hook

INSIDE THE AD: The visa processing company’s print ad and its CEO’s free visa offer aim to ease honeymoon travel woes while targeting young, soon-to-be-married couples.

G-Shock collaborates with Almost Gods to rewrite style narratives in India

INSIDE THE AD: As toughness meets avant garde cred, the company will tap into experiential activations and digital storytelling to captivate culture-conscious Gen Z and Alpha.

From complexity to creativity: How dentsu is tackling global advertising challenges

Talking to Campaign, Takeshi Sano, CEO of dentsu Japan, highlights bespoke solutions and a diverse workforce as the driving forces for its success in India.

Delhi’s pollution crisis chokes ad agency productivity amid festive rush

Agencies tackle the capital’s smog crisis with hybrid and digital strategies to ensure business continuity during peak festive season.

EXCLUSIVE: Hilton eyes India for next travel card revolution

With successful launches in Japan and South Korea, the global hospitality chain plans to merge loyalty and financial convenience in India’s booming UPI ecosystem.

Logi5 launches in India, taps into location-based advertising opportunities

While its launch advances targeted advertising in India, the adtech platform’s success hinges on delivering value amid competition and regulatory challenges.

How click-to-chat ads on Whatsapp are transforming marketing campaigns

A closer look at how brands use WhatsApp Click-to-Chat ads with AI bots to boost engagement, streamline campaigns, and drive personalised, data-driven marketing.

Sizzle beyond the plate: Branding fuels restaurant success

Authenticity, creativity, and consistency turn meals into memorable experiences, proving branding is the secret ingredient for lasting loyalty.

Independent agencies rewrite the rules to stay relevant and take on industry Goliaths

Ditching old-school business practices, they are embracing tech, AI, and holistic strategies to future-proof their companies and give storied agencies some tough competition.

‘Follow the Sun’ model, AI-driven capabilities to power Edelman Studio's global growth

The PR major’s in-house service production unit amplifies global reach through AI, time-zone synergies, and regional studios, in a bid to position itself as a leader in agile, high-quality content delivery.

From ads to experiences: How experiential marketing is shaping brand-consumer relationships

It is shaking up the ad world, with immersive, data-driven campaigns that forge genuine, lasting bonds with consumers.

The CMO's MO: Kruthi Aramanamada: Global growth demands strategy and market insight

Alongside sharing growth plans for her company, ideaForge’s general manager for marketing talks to Campaign about the pertinence of ensuring brand authenticity while promoting sustainability.

Phyllis Project: Attempting to rewrite the script for women in advertising leadership

The initiative aims to reshape DEI in APAC, empowering women to thrive in advertising through mentorship, community, and practical training.

Snap’s vision for the future rests on Spectacles

It unveiled its latest innovations at the Snap Partner Summit, including the latest generation of augmented reality (AR) glasses, setting the stage for creator empowerment.

Interbrand’s ‘Arenas’ concept aims to redefine competition across sectors

Interbrand India and South Asia’s CEO, Ashish Mishra, reveals to Campaign how this initiative is now central to the consultancy’s branding playbook.

Bisleri’s retro revival targets Gen Z with nostalgia and sustainability

The #FlavourOfLove engages Gen Z through in-house creativity, sports tie-ins, and youth star power.

The CMO's MO: Kimmy Babbar is turning gears to market manufacturing in a digital world

The head of marketing communications at JCBL Group shares that this means balancing industry gravity with tailored messages for both D2C and B2B consumers in digital spaces.

Colgate and Ogilvy on cracking the snacking code in toothpaste marketing

INSIDE THE AD: #TheDailyGrind campaign takes a bite out of snack culture, creatively leveraging a national habit to spotlight oral health. But can toothpaste keep up with the modern muncher?

The CMO’s MO: Pawan Jagnik urges marketers to treat their CEOs as their CMOs

The marketing head for India at pladis Global believes that marketers should not stop at promoting their brands but should also market themselves.

Mondelez India gears up to take a big bite out of the premium gifting market

The confectionery brand plans to collaborate with Design Bridge and Partners for creative experimentation, eyeing more artist collaborations and limited-edition collections for Studio Creations.

Mahindra SabCultures underpins how brands swap sales for cultural impact, loyalty

With the six-part docu-series, created by IPG Mediabrands Content Studio, Mahindra urges brands to champion cultural storytelling that resonates across generations.

Bandhan Life banks on 99.66% payout claims to boost trust

Following a rebrand in April this year, the life insurance company is pushing the buttons of empathy-driven marketing to reach out to India’s underinsured population.

CMOs must master AI to prove marketing’s business impact: Rohit Dadwal

MMA Global’s CEO for APAC tells Campaign that AI can revolutionise marketing but only if CMOs shift the narrative from innovation to transformation.

The CMO’s MO: Puneet Gupta believes employee well-being can be aligned with client expectations

Nuvama Wealth’s senior EVP and business head for digital business shares perspectives on marketing challenges, industry trends, and the company's belief in inclusion and diversity.

Shopcialising: The secret to building last bonds with Gen Z consumers

To win over these buyers, brands must move beyond trends and tap into the power of social connections, which shape their shopping decisions and loyalty.

Marriott’s winning formula: Merging culture, loyalty, and personalisation in its marketing strategy

Its VP marketing—South Asia, Khushnooma Kapadia, dishes out the brand’s savvy marketing moves and how it taps into diverse audiences across India and beyond.

McDowell's X series: From mass appeal to premium power

Diageo India’s executives tell Campaign how this brand is set on redefining premiumisation, by blending legacy with modern flair, to capture the next-gen drinkers.

Ratan Tata: The quiet titan who shaped global business and social good

Under his guidance, Tata Group became a global conglomerate with a brand value of $28.6 billion and India’s most valuable company, symbolising the country’s economic ascent.

Vogue India's ambitious Forces of Fashion finds a strategic partner in Ajio

This year's edition isn't just about stunning designs—it's setting new industry standards, powered by Vogue India's game-changing partnership with digital retail brand.

Amazon’s MX Player acquisition marks its strategic play for India’s heartland

The new Amazon MX Player service had over 250 million unique users as of September 2024.

MiQ scouts for a CEO to lead its Indian operations

The incumbent will take charge of programmatic marketing agency's 225-client portfolio, and steer the value versus price debate in one of the company’s most crucial markets.

The CMO’s MO: Sameer Saxena on navigating Legrand’s dynamic, ever-evolving marketplace

From high-tech investments to analysing consumer behaviour, Legrand India's marketing director illustrates the right path to marketing excellence without losing sight of sustainability.

CSA to fuse freedom of flexibility with localisation to make strong inroads in India

Company officials tell Campaign how they are blending global expertise with indigenous elasticity, letting each market tailor consulting and science with tech solutions to what truly clicks with their clients.

Following its parent company's lead, will Condé Nast India take the paywall route?

If its managing director, Sandeep Lodha, has his way, this could happen soon, starting with one brand before expanding to the other three titles in its portfolio.

CaratLane’s #WearYourWins celebrates small triumphs with big impact

INSIDE THE AD: By shifting focus from flashy baubles to meaningful storytelling, the jewellery brand’s campaign, crafted by BBH India, aims to empower women by celebrating everyday victories.

Can 'Go Get It' entrench ibis strongly on India's hospitality map?

The budget hospitality brand from Accor is localising its global campaigns and is attempting a makeover to appeal to millennial and gen Z travellers.

India: 5% revenue, 100% strategic game-changer for Merkle

Its global president, Pete Stein, in a chat with Campaign, highlights India’s pivotal role in driving the company's revenue, talent, and tech innovation.

AI in digital ads: Silent partner, not sole pilot

Talking to Campaign, Tejinder Gill shares his insights about the opportunities and challenges ahead for programmatic advertising, offering a glimpse into the future of marketing in a dynamic and data-driven world.

Pocket FM tunes in SoundCake for crowdsourced creativity

The audio platform will share shortlisted tunes with 200 million listeners globally, inviting votes for its community-driven branding campaign.

Himalaya’s Ragini Hariharan suggests how gaps between sustainability goals and execution in organisations can be bridged

On World Environment Day 2024, she reveals how Himalaya Wellness Company has incorporated its sustainability ethos into every function, process, product and customer communication initiative.

The CMO's MO: Avi Kumar bets on GenAI to power FNP's bespoke solutions

Ferns N Petals' chief marketing officer, Avi Kumar, shares how AI-driven personalisation efforts are attracting the company's marketing dollars, helping it augment its customised gifting solutions.

Pixelab and Warehouse 47: Anant Roongta shares his vision for the future of storytelling

Famous Studios’ managing director is attempting to blend tradition with innovation through Warehouse 47 and Pixelab, which promise avante-garde production facilities for brands and content creators.

India’s digital shift: Open internet emerges as adland’s new frontier

The Trade Desk’s general manager, Tejinder Gill tells Campaign that as the open internet reshapes digital advertising, it’s only a matter of time before ad budgets align with this shift.

Landor's global president on shaping brands as business assets

Talking to Campaign, Christian Schroeder reflects on his return to Landor, how the brand consultancy agency has transformed, and the strategies that set it apart in a tech-driven world.

Kinder to launch Indian-flavoured treats to entice young adult consumers

Amedeo Aragona, regional marketing head—Indian subcontinent at Kinder Brands tells Campaign that the Italian confectionary brand wants to capture this buyer cohort in what is now its largest market globally.

Social's secret sauce lies in stirring up killer brand collaborations

From Spotify to Netflix to Nestlé and Cred, the restaurant chain’s chief growth officer Divya Aggarwal sits down with Campaign to discuss how partnerships are spicing up both its menu and marketing game.

The CMO's MO: Godrej Capital’s Nalin Jain on revamping marketing to hit new highs

The chief marketing officer discusses how the financial services company is boosting its brand visibility with a savvy mix of online and offline tactics—making its name the one everyone knows.

Canva paints a bigger picture for India

Zach Kitschke, Canva's global CMO tells Campaign how the $26 billion design platform is expanding in the country, its fifth-largest market, to boost the growing creator economy and democratise design for everyone.

Bombay Shaving Company lathers on sensi-bility into its latest marketing campaign

The grooming company's founder and CEO, Shantanu Deshpande, and CMO, Gauri Malhotra, spill the beans to Campaign on why Deshpande starred in their latest ad, risking a meme frenzy. This move showed his confidence in the product and his coolness at taking a joke on the chin.

Sheth Group's orange dot mystery reveals a fresh rebrand

Revving up for its public listing, the realty company’s mysterious campaign reveals a flashy rebrand and a target of INR 3,000 crore in FY24-25.

How a toilet joke got two interns their first Cannes Lions

Nidhi Shah and Rag Brahmbhatt were pleasantly astonished that their work for Macrogol Hexal tickled the funny bones of jurors judging entries for the ‘Audio and Radio Lions’ category.

Creativity is the penultimate business truth for Leo Burnett's Amitesh Rao

Winning five Lions at Cannes showcases the agency's tilt to forward-thinking creative solutions and its commitment to produce impactful work that truly makes a difference.

If you want to be a creative agency, sell creativity: Marcel’s MD, Léoda Esteve

To revitalise its Indian operations, the French agency wants to partner with brands that are genuinely eager to collaborate with it. The reason? Marcel prefers focusing on quality over quantity, prioritising meaningful relationships over numerous office openings.

CMO’s MO: Responsible marketing merits more attention than it gets—Rajat Abbi

Vinita Bhatia