ITV

Category: Media and Advertising

  • Reliance Jewels and JioStar spark Akshaya Tritiya frenzy with a blast of bling and buzz

    Reliance Jewels and JioStar spark Akshaya Tritiya frenzy with a blast of bling and buzz

    MUMBAI: Diamonds might claim the sparkle crown, but this Akshaya Tritiya, JioStar’s MegaBlast stole the show. Mumbai lit up like a carnival as Reliance Jewels and JioStar staged a launch spectacular loud enough to wake the gods. Matching the grandeur of Tirupati temple’s golden spires, Reliance Jewels unveiled its Tirupati Collection with a punchy, gold-dusted flourish, fuelling the 10 edition of its Jewels of India series. Powered by JioStar’s freshly minted MegaBlast platform, the campaign turned the gold-buying frenzy of 29 April 2025 into a full-throttle nationwide spectacle.

    Reliance Jewels took the wraps off its Tirupati Collection, inspired by the spiritual richness and design grandeur of Tirupati. Timed to perfection, the launch coincided with Akshaya Tritiya, when buying gold is almost a national sport. JioStar cranked up the volume with its MegaBlast solution, flooding TV and digital platforms at high frequency through JioStar’s vast entertainment network and JioHotstar.

    “The Tirupati Collection represents devotion, craftsmanship, and tradition. Partnering with JioStar allowed us to launch it with the scale and sanctity it truly deserves. We chose MegaBlast, a first-of-its-kind innovation, as it gave us a unique, all-encompassing solution for reaching our target audience at an unprecedented scale and delivering impact. The high-impact visibility across TV and digital gave us the momentum to connect meaningfully with audiences across India, turning our launch into a nationwide celebration,” a Reliance Jewels spokesperson said.

    In true showbiz style, JioStar ensured that every six seconds, across 84 top general entertainment and movie channels, audiences caught a glimpse of the bling. Formats such as Spotlight Frames, Brand Bridges, Stings, and Mega Spots weaved Reliance Jewels into the entertainment fabric, making the brand impossible to miss.

    “Akshaya Tritiya is a time for tradition, celebration, and new beginnings. We are proud that JioStar’s MegaBlast was able to elevate the Reliance Jewels Tirupati Collection into a true cultural moment. MegaBlast is more than just a product—it’s a comprehensive marketing funnel that drives high-decibel awareness, ensures top-of-mind recall and ultimately influences consumer consideration. With its unmatched scale, cross-platform integration, and storytelling capabilities, it offers brands an unparalleled opportunity to engage with audiences throughout the entire campaign journey,” a JioStar spokesperson said.

    The sparkle didn’t stop at TV. Reliance Jewels unleashed a Digital MegaBlast too, hogging screens with pre-roll takeovers, feature trays, pause ads, and juicy mid-roll spots on top shows, ensuring a gold rush across all devices.

    The campaign demonstrated that, even in today’s splintered media jungle, a bold strategy with the right platform still cuts through the clutter. MegaBlast delivered not just big glitzy moments, but also measurable business outcomes, proving that real-world impact can come wrapped in glitz and strategic grit.

  • From advertising ace to entrepreneurial ace: Ambalika Sen charts a bold new course

    From advertising ace to entrepreneurial ace: Ambalika Sen charts a bold new course

    MUMBAI: One of Indian advertising’s sharpest advertising minds is switching gears. After a 16-year career spanning heavyweights like JWT, Contract, Taproot Dentsu, and Tilt Brand Solutions, Ambalika Sen has hung up her agency boots to launch into the entrepreneurial fast lane.

    Now managing partner at Fundamental, the newly minted venture based in Mumbai, she is eyeing a future built on sharper strategic partnerships, brand management excellence, and a strong dose of independent thinking.
    At the same time, she’s staying firmly rooted in nurturing talent — moonlighting as a guest faculty at the prestigious Xavier’s Institute of Communication, where she teaches Business Management in Advertising to the next wave of ad mavens.

    Before stepping into the startup world, Ambalika’s career reads like a best-of list of Indian advertising. Across her career, the through-line has been clear: client-first thinking, relentless business-building, and a gift for weaving culture into commerce.

    While advertising has been the bedrock, Ambalika’s recent years have also seen her expand into cultural consulting — working as an independent business advisor with youth-driven brand Homegrown since 2020.
    With Fundamental, Ambalika is betting on a hybrid future — where brand-building meets cultural fluency, and strategic partnership is as important as creative spark.

  • Google Pay scores big with ‘Sab Tick Hai Team’ IPL 2025 campaign created by Lowe Lintas

    Google Pay scores big with ‘Sab Tick Hai Team’ IPL 2025 campaign created by Lowe Lintas

    MUMBAI: In a season where every ball counts, Google Pay has swung big with its latest IPL 2025 campaign, ‘Sab Tick Hai Team’, created by Lowe Lintas and rolling out on JioHotstar.

    The digital payments giant is using the country’s cricket fever to cement its brand values—reliability, speed, and trust—into the hearts of millions. The campaign cleverly mirrors the traits of a crack cricket team—swift running, secure fielding, dependable leadership—with Google Pay’s own promise of safe, fast transactions.

    ‘Sab Tick Hai’ is not just a slogan—it’s a lifestyle choice for the cricket-obsessed nation, now extended seamlessly to digital payments. Lowe Lintas has given the campaign a playful, relatable spin, ensuring it blends into India’s IPL-mad summer like cold drinks and tense run chases.

    Adding spice to the mix, the campaign features exclusive pre-match commentary by Jatin Sapru and cricket legend Suresh Raina. These segments, crafted under Lowe Lintas’ creative baton, spotlight what makes a ‘Sab Tick Hai Team’ both on the field and at the checkout counter.

    “Our goal was to capture the essence of cricket’s reliability and camaraderie and map it onto the digital payments experience,” Lowe Lintas said. The result is a campaign that is relatable, punchy, and designed to drive fan chatter between overs.

    By partnering with JioHotstar for IPL 2025, Google Pay aims to tap into the unrivalled viewership and excitement surrounding cricket’s biggest carnival. With Lowe Lintas steering the storytelling, Google Pay is looking to knock brand engagement out of the park this season.

  • Ravichandran Ashwin signs up as brand ambassador and investor for VOC Automotive

    Ravichandran Ashwin signs up as brand ambassador and investor for VOC Automotive

    MUMBAI: VOC Automotive just bowled a masterstroke. On 29 April 2025, the multi-brand two-wheeler service giant announced that cricketing icon Ravichandran Ashwin had joined as both brand ambassador and strategic investor, signalling a bold new phase in the company’s growth story.

    Founded in 2019 by Venkatesh B M and Lokesh S, VOC Automotive has accelerated its network to over 150 stores across India, with sights firmly set on 300 outlets and a projected revenue of Rs 50 crore by FY26.

    Ashwin’s entry blends precision, professionalism, and entrepreneurial spirit—qualities VOC believes are critical as it aims to transform the fragmented two-wheeler service industry.

    “I’m thrilled to associate with VOC Automotive—a brand that stands for innovation, professionalism, and customer-first values. Their modern approach to 2-wheeler servicing truly aligns with my own principles of precision and consistency. I look forward to contributing to their vision of transforming the 2-wheeler service industry in India,” said Ashwin.

    Commenting on the partnership, VOC Automotive co-founder & CEO Venkatesh B M said, “Having Ashwin onboard is a testament to our vision of excellence. His strategic investment and brand endorsement will propel VOC Automotive to new heights.”

    Positioned as India’s largest multi-brand digitalised two-wheeler service dealership network, VOC Automotive promises transparency, affordability, and quality under one roof—earning the trust of lakhs of customers nationwide.

    With Ashwin now in its squad, VOC Automotive is clearly playing for keeps.

  • Pooja Tomar hops over to Publicis Groupe as senior director of buying

    Pooja Tomar hops over to Publicis Groupe as senior director of buying

    MUMBAI – Media maven Pooja Tomar is on the move again. After nearly three years as senior business director at Havas Media Group, Tomar has been snapped up by Publicis Groupe, stepping into the newly minted role of senior director, buying from April 2025. She will be based in India, working on-site.

    With more than a decade of navigating the labyrinth of media planning, buying and strategy across FMCG, e-commerce and technology, Tomar brings a bulging toolkit of cross-media skills to her new perch. Her career reads like a masterclass in media evolution — from digital hustle to broadcast muscle.

    Before Havas, Tomar clocked nearly five years across Starcom and Publicis’ ZenithOptimedia, sharpening her cross-platform planning chops. Earlier stints at Madison World and GroupM saw her navigating media buying with a keen eye on both budgets and ROI, across some of India’s top retail, telecom and tech accounts.

    Tomar’s trademark: an uncanny knack for aligning new technology with old-school brand strategy – and for chasing hard numbers with harder insights. Over the years, she has built a reputation for being a strategist who can not just plan campaigns but anticipate market moves, with a solid grip on consumer trends, media fragmentation, and the shifting sands of cross-platform engagement.

    Expect fireworks as she joins Publicis Groupe, bringing her “360-degree media brain” to a fiercely competitive Indian media marketplace.

  • Netflix’s Jewel Thief may miss the mark — but its OOH stunt steals the show

    Netflix’s Jewel Thief may miss the mark — but its OOH stunt steals the show

    MUMBAI: Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins may be struggling to find fans among film critics, but Netflix has pulled off a marketing masterstroke that’s impossible to miss.

    While reviewers have slammed Siddharth Anand’s latest caper — calling it an amateurish effort with a threadbare plot and little thrill — Netflix’s promotional team deserves a standing ovation. One of Mumbai’s most iconic landmarks, the Worli Sea Link, has been spectacularly transformed into a giant billboard for the film.

    The Jewel Thief

    In an audacious move, the entire cable span of the Sea Link now features a striking projection: a glowing red sun diamond, Netflix’s logo, followed by a larger-than-life poster of Saif Ali Khan and Jaideep Ahlawat, capped with a bold call to action to watch Jewel Thief.

    The OOH campaign was executed by Wavemaker India and GroupM Kinetic, in collaboration with Netflix. As Wavemaker summed it up on LinkedIn:
    “Borrowed the Sea Link under the moonlight. Returned it before the sun rises. Jewel Thief is stealing the show with a striking OOH campaign.”

    After bagging Mumbai’s most famous bridge, one can only wonder: what will they “borrow” next?

  • Full throttle for Admatazz as it drives Kelvinn’s digital mandate

    Full throttle for Admatazz as it drives Kelvinn’s digital mandate

    MUMBAI: Vrooming into the fast lane of success, Mumbai-based strategy-led agency Admatazz has won the coveted end-to-end digital marketing mandate for Kelvinn, the global autocare brand under the Elvi Group umbrella. The account win, following a tightly contested multi-agency pitch, puts Admatazz firmly in the driver’s seat to steer Kelvinn’s ambitious digital growth worldwide.

    Under the mandate, Admatazz will handle social media management, influencer marketing, performance marketing, and campaign execution, ensuring a unified brand presence across platforms.

    Speaking on the account win, Admatazz founder and chief strategist Yash Chandiramani said, “Over the past eight years, Admatazz has built deep expertise in automotive and autocare marketing. We’ll apply that experience, grounded in audience insights and data-driven media planning, to help Kelvinn achieve its growth goals.”

    Admatazz DGM national retail marketing, Subodh Nair said “A cohesive digital strategy is essential to reach today’s autocare consumers. Partnering with an agency that understands our category and modern marketing gives us the clarity and focus we need to strengthen Kelvinn’s presence worldwide.”

    With Admatazz’s knack for combining clear business thinking with bold creative execution, the partnership promises to shift gears for Kelvinn fuelling brand visibility, deeper audience engagement, and global market expansion.

  • Sungrow Europe taps Content Digital Agency to electrify digital media across 20 countries

    Sungrow Europe taps Content Digital Agency to electrify digital media across 20 countries

    MUMBAI: Solar meets strategy as Sungrow Europe plugs into Content Digital Agency (CDA) to supercharge its digital marketing presence across the continent. In April 2025, CDA announced it had been appointed as Sungrow Europe’s digital media partner, handling activations across more than 20 countries.

    Sungrow, ranked number one globally in PV inverter shipments according to S&P Global Commodity Insights, is sharpening its digital focus to align with its mission of innovation and sustainability in renewable energy.

    “We are excited to partner with Content Digital Agency to strengthen our digital presence in the European market,” said Sungrow Europe senior digital marketing manager Zaid Basheer. “Their expertise in digital marketing will help us to enhance the communication of our brand values and solutions to our target audience.”

    Content Digital Agency founder Zubin Nalawalla shared his enthusiasm, stating, “We are thrilled to partner with Sungrow Europe. Our team is committed to delivering innovative digital solutions that meet Sungrow’s marketing objectives and contribute to their continued success in the renewable energy sector.”

    The partnership, born out of a successful pilot campaign, has grown into a full-fledged engagement. “What started as a pilot campaign has resulted in a strong association, and it’s a testament of our agency’s capabilities and expertise in delivering effective results,” added CDA chief communications officer Rayo Sarkari.

    With sustainability taking centre stage globally, Sungrow’s strengthened digital play positions it to reach wider audiences while advancing renewable solutions across Europe’s rapidly evolving energy landscape.

  • Sugosh Iyer plugs into Mindshare to power Unilever’s digital future

    Sugosh Iyer plugs into Mindshare to power Unilever’s digital future

    MUMBAI:  Sugosh Iyer has hit the refresh button, stepping into the hotseat as head of digital trading at Mindshare earlier this year, leading the charge on all things digital for FMCG titan Unilever.

    In his new role, Iyer will pilot negotiations, data and tech partnerships, first-party data strategies, and turbocharge commerce conversations — stitching together the future of media buying across connected ecosystems.

    It’s been quite the pivot-packed journey. Iyer’s career, spanning over 17 years, has crisscrossed industries and continents: from banking at Kotak to media stints at NDTV Media, Starcom, Spatial Access, Flipkart, and senior leadership gigs across Madison, GroupM, and Kansai Nerolac Paints. Most recently, he helmed digital marketing for Grasim Industries (Pulp & Fibre), blending traditional business sense with e-commerce agility.

    Known for his customer acquisition chops, B2B savvy, and an eye for e-commerce acceleration, Iyer has consistently stayed ahead of the curve, whether in the bustling media hubs of Mumbai or navigating client leadership roles in Kuala Lumpur.

    With digital trading now the frontline of advertising wars, Mindshare seems to have found the perfect battering ram — a blend of finance brains, media muscle, and tech-first thinking — to storm the gates of tomorrow’s marketing battlefield.

  • Gaurav Saxena steps up as associate director at Havas Media Network

    Gaurav Saxena steps up as associate director at Havas Media Network

    MUMBAI: Gaurav Saxena is riding a wave of momentum at Havas Media Network, clinching a promotion to associate director after nearly four years of sharp planning, strategic buys, and delivering results that clients love to brag about.
    Armed with more than nine years of experience in optimising, negotiating, and snapping up prime media real estate across TV, radio, and print, Saxena has earned a reputation for mixing market insight with financial discipline — squeezing every drop of ROI from client budgets.
    His journey has criss-crossed some of the industry’s biggest names, with stints at Omnicom Media Group, GroupM, and Vizeum, before parking himself firmly at Havas, where he rose through the ranks from buying manager to media group head, and now associate director.
    Known for his calm critical thinking and strong vendor relationships, Saxena has consistently translated high-stakes briefs into high-impact campaigns. Whether crafting media plans or negotiating killer rates, he brings the same passion to every challenge — and it’s clearly paying off.