ITV

Category: Media and Advertising

  • Frido’s Father’s Day push hits the right joints

    Frido’s Father’s Day push hits the right joints

    MUMBAI: This Father’s Day, D2C wellness brand Frido is skipping the mugs and neckties and going straight for the knees — quite literally. Its cheeky-yet-heartfelt campaign, “Gift him what he truly KNEEds”, turns the spotlight on a group that rarely complains but often aches: dads.

    At the heart of the campaign is Frido’s Active Knee Cap, designed to ease years of wear-and-tear borne by fathers who power through their day without pause. The message? Don’t gift your dad another “World’s Best Dad” trophy — gift him comfort he can feel.

    To scale up the emotional punch, Frido deployed a full-funnel strategy. From dad-centric influencer reels on Instagram to high-visibility OOH across metros and feel-good user contests, the brand created a real tear-jerker with muscle. Families were urged to share personal stories, sparking a flood of nostalgic posts that proved this wasn’t just another token holiday campaign.

    Turning the campaign into a full-body experience, Frido teamed up with EMotorad — India’s leading e-cycle brand — to offer the perfect one-two punch: support at home, and mobility on the road. Together, they’ve crafted a Father’s Day experience that’s both caring and cool.

    Speaking on the initiative, Frido CEO & co-founder Ganesh Sonawane said, “Most fathers carry on without ever saying a word about their own discomfort. This campaign is our way of shifting the spotlight, just for a moment, onto them. At Frido, we believe comfort isn’t a luxury, it’s a quiet form of care. This Father’s Day, we wanted to go beyond the usual and offer something that actually makes a difference in their everyday life. Teaming up with EMotorad helped us complete that thought – whether it’s rest or movement, every dad deserves a gift that understands him.”

    EMotorad co-fouinder & CEO  Kunal Gupta said, “Growing up, I saw my dad put his heart into everything he built. That mindset shaped a lot of what EMotorad stands for. This collaboration with Frido felt like teaming up with someone who shared that same drive to create more than just products, but real possibilities. This Father’s Day, we want to celebrate that quiet, persistent drive in every father. With this campaign, we want to show that a meaningful gift can keep him moving, just like he always has for us.”

    By leaning into authentic emotion and functional gifting, Frido isn’t just celebrating dads — it’s elevating the art of giving. After all, this season, the best present isn’t presence. It’s a bit of relief for those tired knees.
     

  • Amit Srivastava joins India Chambers to spearhead rural nutraceutical revolution

    Amit Srivastava joins India Chambers to spearhead rural nutraceutical revolution

    MUMBAI: India Chambers has named Nutrify Today CEO Amit Srivastava to the governing board of its Rural Economic Forum, marking a strategic move to turbocharge the One India Project’s rural innovation engine.

    The appointment, announced on 12 June, places Srivastava at the heart of India’s effort to revolutionise its agrarian economy through technology, sustainable practices, and data-driven decision-making. The forum, helmed by India Chambers president & CEO Nitin Pangotra, is set to unleash economic opportunities across the country’s rural heartland.

    Srivastava enters the role with a proven playbook. His work at Nutrify Today—particularly the development of NutrifyGenie AI—has drawn international acclaim. The AI platform, designed for precision in nutraceutical supply chains, now powers research recognised by leading academic publishers such as Elsevier.

    “These homegrown innovations demonstrate India’s emergence as a global nutraceutical science hub”, said Pangotra. “Amit’s dedication to responsible nutritional science and his success in democratising supply chains make him the ideal leader to help us scale this $3 trillion rural food-tech and nutraceutical ecosystem”.

    Srivastava’s mandate includes deploying AI-driven traceability tools for crop sourcing, mobilising smallholder farmers for high-value organic cultivation, and collaborating with institutions like IIT Kanpur and ICMR to develop a national nutritional security infrastructure. He will also help scale GauVan, a carbon sequestration initiative blending sustainable livelihoods with climate resilience.

    India’s nutraceutical sector has grown tenfold in a decade, ballooning from $2 billion in 2015 to $20 billion in 2025, at a CAGR of 13.5 per cent. Srivastava believes the journey is just beginning. “A purpose-driven startup culture has taught us that when the purpose is clear, the path emerges”, he said. “I’m honoured to collaborate with India Chambers, our research partners, and thousands of rural entrepreneurs to accelerate India’s $100 billion nutraceutical mission”.

    Pangotra likened India’s trajectory to the U.S. nutraceutical boom of the early 2000s, stating that India’s pharma legacy and rising biotech clusters now offer it a chance to lead, not follow.

    As Srivastava takes the reins, the Rural Economic Forum aims to transform individual farmers into agri-preneurs and local supply chains into scalable, transparent ecosystems. With the nutraceutical gold rush now underway, India is betting on brains, biotech, and Bharat to lead the way.

  • Blinkit hits Bengaluru’s IPL nerve with cheeky outdoor campaign blitz

    Blinkit hits Bengaluru’s IPL nerve with cheeky outdoor campaign blitz

    MUMBAI: Blinkit has rolled out a tongue-in-cheek outdoor campaign across Bengaluru, perfectly timed with the city’s obsession of the season—IPL cricket.

    In a partnership with OOH agency The Local Talk, Blinkit plastered the Garden City with snappy one-liners that cleverly fuse cricket jargon with its 10-minute delivery promise. From traffic-heavy junctions to tech park corridors, the campaign has turned the streets into Blinkit’s playground of puns.

    While most brands swing for sixes during IPL season, Blinkit chose to charm fans with a straight drive through humour and cultural relevance. The creatives score on both wit and timing, echoing the brand’s penchant for being at the right place, at the right time, with the right tone.

    “At The Local Talk, we believe in creating campaigns that not only deliver visibility but also spark conversations. With Blinkit’s witty take on cricket during the IPL season, we’ve been able to bring humour and relevance together across Bengaluru’s busiest spots. It’s been exciting to execute a campaign that truly connects with the city’s cricket-loving spirit”, said The Local Talk director Anil Soni.

    This cheeky outdoor campaign is just the latest example of Blinkit’s agile brand marketing playbook, capitalising on pop culture and cricket fever to stay top of mind. Known for its meme game and fast-footed digital content, the brand has now found a sweet spot between billboards and banter.

    Blinkit continues to evolve beyond just a delivery platform, leaning hard into moments that matter to its user base. In Bengaluru, where cricket is nothing short of a religion, the brand didn’t just hit the ball out of the park—it delivered it in 10 minutes flat.

  • Shemaroo’s Father’s Day film tugs heartstrings with a downpour of silent sacrifices

    Shemaroo’s Father’s Day film tugs heartstrings with a downpour of silent sacrifices

    MUMBAI: Some superpowers don’t make noise.

    They just hold the umbrella and quietly step into the storm.

    This Father’s Day, Shemaroo Entertainment handed the spotlight to dad—the family’s emotional backbone—with a poignant short film under its new campaign #UnderHisUmbrella.

    The film, crafted around a rainy-day metaphor, captures a father leaving shelter so his wife and daughter remain dry. He says nothing, demands nothing. But the gesture hits home. The moment becomes a symbol for a father’s enduring role in Indian households—stoic, quiet, and unyieldingly protective.

    Shemaroo Entertainment launched the film on 13 June, drawing attention to the small sacrifices that often go unnoticed but shape every Indian family. Unlike the usual parade of Father’s Day commercials filled with overt gestures, Shemaroo went with subtlety.

    The result?

    A powerful tug at the heart.

    “For over 60 years, Shemaroo Entertainment has been telling stories that reflect the heart of Indian families. With #UnderHisUmbrella campaign, we continue that legacy, celebrating the fathers who often remain in the background yet form the backbone of the family. Their strength lies in their silence and their love in small acts of care. This campaign is a tribute to that unspoken emotional bedrock”, said Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd COO Arghya Chakravarty.

    The campaign wasn’t just a tearjerker. It worked as a brand strategy.

    “From a strategic perspective, this initiative allows us to connect deeply with our audience on an emotional level. We recognize the profound yet often understated role that fathers play in every household. The #UnderHisUmbrella campaign is our way of celebrating that universal truth. The visual metaphor of an umbrella represents security, warmth, and selflessness. By bringing this to life in a relatable context, we hope to spark recognition and appreciation for the unsaid ways fathers protect and nurture”, said Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd CMO Anuja Trivedi.

    Backed by Shemaroo’s social media platforms like YouTube and LinkedIn along with their long-standing brand ethos ‘India Khush Hua’, the film strengthens the company’s legacy of heartfelt storytelling. The message is simple-sometimes, love doesn’t roar; it quietly shelters.

    Watch the campaign film here: 

  • Hero Cycles pedals into the record books with ‘Har Gully Hero’ ride-a-thon

    Hero Cycles pedals into the record books with ‘Har Gully Hero’ ride-a-thon

    MUMBAI: Hero Cycles, in partnership with WPP Media and RED FM 93.5, has officially entered the Guinness World Records for creating the largest online video album of people riding bicycles — a high-octane finale to its wildly successful ‘Har Gully Hero’ campaign.

    With over 5,800 verified entries flooding in from across India, the campaign didn’t just clock record views — it sparked a full-blown pedal-powered revolution. Targeted at kids aged 6–14 and their nostalgia-loving parents, Har Gully Hero reignited a national passion for outdoor play at a time when screens are winning the battle for attention.

    Billed as India’s largest cycling movement, the campaign reached over 16 lakh citizens across 23 cities, uniting schools, housing societies, and cricket academies in a massive show of community spirit and wheeled fitness.

    Taking it a gear higher, Hero Cycles rolled out limited-edition IPL co-branded bikes with Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals. RED FM kept the campaign buzzing with a high-decibel mix of radio activations, an infectious anthem, and RJ-fuelled meet-ups that gave the campaign its signature swagger.

    By blending purpose with pedal power, Hero Cycles didn’t just break a record — it created a movement. And in the process, reminded India that the real playground isn’t a screen, it’s the street.

    Hero Cycles head – marketing, Pallavi Gupta said, “At Hero Cycles, we’ve always believed that cycling is more than just mobility but a movement. With Har Gully Hero, our vision was to bring back the joy of outdoor play, especially for children growing up in a rapidly evolving digital world. Setting a Guinness World Record is a proud milestone, but what truly matters is the impact we’ve made on communities across India. We are full of gratitude for every child, parent, school, and partner who made this possible. This is just the beginning of a larger movement towards a fitter, more active India.”

    WPP Media South Asia COO Ashwin Padmanabhan said,” Har Gully Hero’ is more than a campaign, it is a cultural revival. It’s a celebration of India’s street sport culture and an urgent call to bring movement back into children’s lives. Achieving a Guinness World Record is a proud moment for all of us and reflects the power of purposeful storytelling at scale.”

    He further said, “This campaign not only rekindled the joy of cycling and gully cricket but also showcased how a brand-led initiative can unite a nation through one pedal, one gully, and now, one world record at a time. With Har Gully Hero, Hero Cycles plays a catalytic role in championing outdoor play and physical fitness, proving how brands can shape healthier, more connected communities.”

  • HealthOK salutes India’s tireless dads with a power-packed Father’s Day campaign

    HealthOK salutes India’s tireless dads with a power-packed Father’s Day campaign

    MUMBAI: Mankind Pharma is flexing both heart and muscle this Father’s Day with a spirited campaign for ‘HealthOK’ – its flagship vegetarian multivitamin brand. Riding high on a near Rs 50 crore milestone and a 25 per cent growth rate, the brand is putting dads front and centre as the ‘HealthOK Heroes’ of Indian households.

    The campaign pays tribute to fathers who never seem to run out of steam — fixing bikes, solving math homework, pulling late-night shifts, and still managing a Sunday cricket match. HealthOK positions itself as their nutritional wingman, helping them power through life’s endless to-do list with its 100 per cent vegetarian multivitamin formula tailored for daily stamina.

    Commenting on the campaign launch, Mankind Pharma vice president, sales and marketing head, consumer business unit, Joy Chatterjee said, “Happy Father’s Day to our HealthOK Heroes. This Father’s Day, we are celebrating the extraordinary fathers who demonstrate relentless dedication to parenthood without ever showing signs of fatigue. Our campaign acknowledges that today’s fathers seamlessly transition between multiple roles; they are providers who ensure family security, protectors who offer safety, mentors who guide with wisdom, and friends who share in life’s joys.”

    “In India, where nearly 30-40 per cent of the population embraces vegetarianism, there is a recognized concern regarding potential vitamin deficiencies among them. HealthOK steps in to bridge this gap by offering a dedicated solution in the form of pure vegetarian multivitamin tablets. In contrast to many over-the-counter alternatives that are non-vegetarian, often due to their capsule form, HealthOK tablets are exclusively sourced from vegetarian ingredients. This not only caters to the specific needs of the vegetarian male population but also aligns with their commitment to a vegetarian lifestyle. We are gaining share in the regions where the vegetarian population is substantial. We at Mankind, take pride in contributing to the well-being of individuals adhering to a vegetarian diet,” He further added.

    But the health hustle doesn’t stop there. For the mini-mes in the family, HealthOK is also pushing its kid-friendly multivitamin gummies — colourful, chewable bursts of nutrition designed to sneak goodness into even the pickiest diets. A nod to today’s time-starved, label-checking parents, the gummies promise immunity and growth without the kitchen drama.

    Commenting on HealthOK gummies, Chatterjee said, “A large number of Indian children fall short of meeting their daily nutritional needs, especially when it comes to essential vitamins and minerals. HealthOK Multivitamin Gummies are designed to help bridge this gap. While kids often crave sugary treats that offer little nutritional value and may harm dental health, HealthOK Gummies offer a smarter alternative. Packed with key nutrients like Vitamin C, D, Zinc, and Iron, these gummies are formulated to support immunity, healthy growth, and overall energy -all in a tasty, child-friendly format.”

    With a multi-platform media blitz spanning digital and traditional formats, the Father’s Day campaign is less about sentiment and more about celebrating real-life endurance athletes — also known as dads.

  • Timex ticks up its marketing game with Varun Malik at the helm

    Timex ticks up its marketing game with Varun Malik at the helm

    MUMBAI: Timex Group has roped in seasoned marketer Varun Malik as its new general manager – marketing and senior management personnel, aiming to give its brand strategy a timely upgrade.

    Malik was most recently the marketing head at Shalimar Paints, where he spearheaded campaigns to refresh the legacy brand’s visibility and sharpen its competitive edge in the fast-growing paints market. From digital storytelling to GTM blueprints and influencer engagement, Malik’s brushstrokes were all over Shalimar’s recent makeover.

    With over 16 years under his belt, Malik brings deep experience across lifestyle marketing, content, and consumer engagement, having held marketing roles at HyFun Foods, Reebok India, Times of India, DLF, and Samsung. At Timex, he is expected to steer the brand into bolder, buzzier terrain—especially with younger consumers and digital-first strategies.

    For Timex, it’s time to move beyond the tick-tock—and tell bigger brand stories.

  • Ketto walks the talk as Shilpa Mishra steps in to lead its giving game

    Ketto walks the talk as Shilpa Mishra steps in to lead its giving game

     MUMBAI: Giving gets a new boss Shilpa Mishra joins Ketto Foundation to steer its next chapter in impact. Ketto Foundation, the strategic philanthropic and CSR arm of crowdfunding platform Ketto.org, has named Shilpa Mishra as its new executive director. With over 14 years of experience in building some of India’s most respected non-profit institutions, Mishra steps into a role that’s all about bridging heart and strategy and taking Ketto’s impact ambitions to the next level.

    Her mandate? Scale up CSR implementation, reimagine workplace giving, and anchor community-led systems built on empathy and equity all while keeping transparency at the core.

    “Philanthropy is not just capital movement, it’s a movement of mindsets,” said Mishra. “At Ketto Foundation, we’re not just funding change, we’re co-creating it with communities, not just for them.”

    Mishra’s career spans leadership roles at Bhumi, GiveIndia, Make A Difference, Avasara Academy, Tata Strive, and The Akanksha Foundation. She’s mobilised over Rs 150 crore through CSR and institutional partnerships, with measurable impact on more than a million lives.

    “Shilpa’s appointment is a turning point,” said Ketto.org Co-founder Varun Sheth. “She’s got a rare mix of heart and systems thinking—her ability to align big-picture CSR goals with on-ground community needs will be crucial as we build a scalable, inclusive infrastructure for generosity.”

    The Foundation’s bold new vision? Enable one million families to become poverty-free by 2035. It’s not just a metric—it’s a mission. And under Mishra’s leadership, the focus will be on purpose-driven partnerships, civic-first giving, and sustainable philanthropy that’s as effective as it is empathetic.

    Because at Ketto Foundation, giving isn’t just an act. It’s a structure. And it just got a new architect.

  • Bakingo bakes up brownie points for ‘The Real OGs’ this Father’s Day

    Bakingo bakes up brownie points for ‘The Real OGs’ this Father’s Day

    MUMBAI: Forget socks and soggy sentiment—this Father’s Day, Bakingo is going straight for the heart (and the sweet tooth) with its cheeky new campaign, ‘The Real OG’.

    A tribute to the unsung superheroes who fix, fund, and forgive in equal measure, the collection serves up fatherhood in every flavour—strong, sweet, slightly nutty, and always unforgettable.

    Top of the treat list is the Choco Raspberry Cake, a rich-meets-zingy creation that’s moody in the best way. For tropical types, the Mango Passion Fruit Bento Cake brings full sunshine energy. The brand’s big “aww” moment comes in a limited-edition brownie box spelling out “I Love U DAD”—nine gooey squares that say what words can’t. Also in the spotlight: cake popsicles in mango and hazelnut for the dad who deserves dessert with a wink.

    The rest of Bakingo’s line-up is no less tempting—think jarcakes, tres leches, chocolate bombs and more, all prepped for same-day delivery.

    “Our Father’s Day collection is a tribute to dads who may not always ask for recognition, but whose love, quirks, and quiet sacrifices deserve to be celebrated in the sweetest way possible,” said Bakingo co-founder Himanshu Chawla. “With this campaign, we wanted to go beyond clichés and honour the real, original moments of fatherhood, ones that often go unnoticed but never unfelt. From the classic dads to the cool, goofy, silent, and sentimental ones, this one’s for every version of Dad out there.”

    So this Sunday, ditch the dad jokes and deliver dessert. Because being an OG isn’t about how old he is—it’s about how often he showed up, even when no one asked.