ITV

Category: MAM

  • Cup of laughs as Rosepod bowls out new cricket comedy podcast

    Cup of laughs as Rosepod bowls out new cricket comedy podcast

    MUMBAI: Cricket, comedy, and a whole lot of Cups, that’s the winning pitch Rosepod is banking on. The podcasting arm of Rose Audio Visuals, the studio behind some of India’s most original screen content, has just dropped Two Boys One Cup, a riotous new cricket podcast hosted by comedians Sorabh Pant and Aakash Mehta.

    The duo both diehard cricket buffs and full-time funny men, take listeners on a rollercoaster ride through the sport’s most unforgettable tournaments, from the glorious to the downright bizarre. With unfiltered banter and wicked humour, they dissect legendary matches, outrageous moments, and larger-than-life personalities that have shaped cricket’s storybook over decades.

    The debut episode, now streaming across major audio platforms (and on Rosepod’s Youtube channel), kicks things off with a nostalgia-fuelled look at India vs Pakistan’s Asia Cup clashes from the drama of 1984 to the fireworks of 2025. Expect Pant and Mehta to do what commentators don’t crack jokes about Dhoni’s calm chaos, Hardik Pandya’s blonde experiments, and Virat Kohli’s death stare, while also celebrating the passion and unpredictability that define Indo-Pak encounters.

    “With ‘Two Boys One Cup’, we wanted to create a space that blends cricket passion with pure comedy,” said Rose Audio Visuals COO Mitesh Patel. “It’s nostalgic, irreverent, and deeply relatable, everything Indian cricket fans love. With Sorabh and Aakash’s banter, it’s impossible not to laugh while you relive some of the sport’s most iconic moments.”

    Sorabh Pant summed it up in true comic spirit: “It’s basically two grown men arguing over Cups and occasionally agreeing on cricket. From legends to hairstyles, we’re covering it all.”

    Adding to that, Aakash Mehta quipped, “We’ve all had those debates about ‘that one match’ or ‘that one player’. This show is our tribute to those endless cricket convos only with more jokes, less shouting, and way better sound.”

    With its sharp wit, nostalgia-laced insights, and irreverent energy, Two Boys One Cup is less about stats and more about stories the kind that every cricket fan (and even the cricket-agnostic) can laugh along to. So whether you’re reliving Tendulkar’s sixes or just here for the jokes, this Cup promises to overflow with laughs.

    Stream the first episode of ‘Two Boys One Cup’ now on Rosepod’s Youtube channel or your favourite audio platform because every Cup deserves a laugh.

  • Cocoon Hospital raises a #Pinkshield to fight breast cancer with early action

    Cocoon Hospital raises a #Pinkshield to fight breast cancer with early action

    MUMBAI: When it comes to breast cancer, prevention is the ultimate armour and Cocoon Hospital is turning awareness into action. The healthcare provider recently launched the #Pinkshield Campaign, a comprehensive initiative aimed at promoting the life-saving importance of early detection and regular screening, while sparking open conversations around breast health in India.

    Breast Cancer Awareness Month provided the perfect backdrop for the campaign, which seeks to empower women to put their health first. “Every day, women dedicate themselves to their families, their work, and their communities. In prioritising others, their own health often comes last. This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, through the #PinkShield movement, I appeal to every woman to put herself first,” said RJ Corp Healthcare Business director Devyani Jaipuria.

    #PinkShield emphasises that regular screenings, early detection, and honest dialogue with healthcare providers are not just preventive measures, they are acts of care and courage. “When women take care of themselves, they strengthen their families and inspire the world around them. Let us come together to build our #PinkShield. Aware, Empowered and Unstoppable,” Devyani added.

    The campaign encourages women to regularly perform self-examinations to identify early warning signs and to undergo screenings such as mammograms or breast ultrasounds as advised by their doctors. It is designed to reach women across age groups, particularly those who often neglect preventive check-ups, combining educational workshops, social media outreach, expert talks, and community interactions.

    By creating a space for honest conversations about breast health, #PinkShield aims to break the silence and stigma that frequently surround breast cancer in India. Cocoon Hospital’s initiative underscores that awareness, knowledge, and timely action can dramatically increase survival rates, transforming health care from reactive to proactive.

    As part of this month-long drive, the campaign is not only providing information but also fostering a community that stands united under the banner of the #PinkShield. From workshops in local communities to digital engagements reaching thousands online, the campaign is redefining what it means to be informed and empowered in the fight against breast cancer.

    In a country where millions of women continue to overlook regular screenings, #PinkShield acts as both a call-to-action and a shield, a reminder that early detection saves lives, and that every woman deserves to prioritise her health, her courage, and her future.

    With Cocoon Hospital leading the charge, October is not just a month of awareness; it is a rallying cry for action, knowledge, and empowerment, one #PinkShield at a time.

  • Indobevs names Vikas Kumar co-founder to lead growth

    Indobevs names Vikas Kumar co-founder to lead growth

    MUMBAI: Indobevs, one of India’s fastest-growing alco-bev companies, has elevated Vikas Kumar to co-founder, signalling a bold step in its expansion drive. In his new role, Kumar will steer operational strategy, boost manufacturing muscle, and tighten supply chains to support Indobevs’ ambitious growth plans.

    Kumar, who joined Indobevs seven years ago, has been the architect of the company’s operational backbone. He built robust manufacturing systems, streamlined supply chains, and implemented scalable processes that have helped the company grow nearly 40 per cent year-on-year.

    With more than 20 years of experience across Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, United Biscuits and SC Johnson, Kumar brings expertise in supply chain management, plant engineering, project execution and process optimisation.

    “Indobevs has always stood out for bold ideas and quality focus,” Kumar said. “As co-founder, I aim to make our operations resilient, agile and future-ready, ensuring we scale responsibly while delivering exceptional value to customers.”

    Co-founder Geetika Mahandru added, “Vikas’ vision and operational insight have been key to our growth. Under his leadership, we are well-positioned to expand into new markets and continue offering premium, consumer-focused experiences.”

    Indobevs is expanding both domestically and internationally, with greenfield facilities under construction in Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka. New launches include the liqueur Bonga Bonga and multiple whisky variants, all under Kumar’s operational oversight.

    Founded in 2007, Indobevs has built a diverse portfolio that includes Brocode, Big Bro, Bro Red, Brose, Bonga Bonga Mystery Liqueur, Enso Japanese Whisky, Eden Blended Malt Whisky, Wingman Blended Malt Whisky, God’s Own Cognac and Tom & Mew Gin. The company continues to push bold flavours and contemporary drinking experiences.

  • Pepperfry sparks early festive comfort this Diwali

    Pepperfry sparks early festive comfort this Diwali

    MUMBAI: Light up your living room before the lights go up! Pepperfry, India’s leading e-commerce furniture and home décor brand, is making this Diwali extra cosy with its latest campaign, This Diwali, Bring Home the Comfort You Felt. 

    The campaign invites customers to experience the comfort and style of Pepperfry’s furniture in-store, allowing families to bring home sofas, recliners, and dining sets immediately instead of waiting for deliveries. The idea is to kickstart the festive season with joy, warmth, and stress-free celebrations. 

    “Diwali is about laughter, lights, and the warmth of home. With this campaign, we want families to feel our furniture first-hand and enjoy the festival from the very start,” said Pepperfry lead, brand marketing Archana K.

    The quirky ad films capture familiar home scenes that quickly reveal the magic of Pepperfry stores. From luxurious recliners to stylish dining tables, every product blends comfort with design, letting customers celebrate in style without delay. 
    Shoppers can also enjoy Diwali dhamaka offers, including up to 70 per cent off on furniture and décor, 25 per cent cashback, free express shipping, and store-exclusive deals like a 3-seater sofa at the price of a 2-seater. 
     
    With this campaign, Pepperfry combines playful storytelling and immersive experiences, ensuring the joy of Diwali begins in its stores and continues seamlessly in homes across India. 
  • Water ATMs flow hope in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

    Water ATMs flow hope in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

    MUMBAI: Making a splash in rural Maharashtra! Community-managed Water ATMs are transforming life in ten villages of Phulambri block, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Installed by Anandana, The Coca-Cola India Foundation in partnership with the S M Sehgal Foundation, these kiosks deliver safe, affordable drinking water while boosting groundwater recharge and strengthening local livelihoods.

    Part of Anandana’s Refreshing Difference campaign, the Water ATMs have already sparked real change. Digital films capture stories from residents who are seeing tangible benefits every day. Savitri, an Asha worker, shares how she no longer relies on unsafe water or expensive bottled supplies. Kalpana, an Anganwadi Sevika, highlights the relief women feel by avoiding long treks to fetch water. Meanwhile, Kailash, the Water Management Committee secretary, points to savings and improved livelihoods thanks to affordable water access.

    Other voices like Nanda and Yogesh describe fewer waterborne illnesses and healthier families, allowing more time for school and agriculture. These accounts reveal the human side of sustainable technology, showing how community engagement and partnership come together to make a real difference.

    S M Sehgal Foundation CEO Anjali Makhija said, “The Water ATMs provide families with daily access to safe water while our recharge initiatives improve local water security. This partnership offers long-term relief for villages.”

    Anandana director Rajiv Gupta added, “These Water ATMs are more than clean water. They restore dignity, support livelihoods, and create sustainable ecosystems. Through our Refreshing Difference campaign, we are proud to showcase the power of community partnerships.”

    Anandana and the Sehgal Foundation have been expanding safe drinking water access across India through Project Jaldhara, enhancing water availability in drought-prone regions and supporting agriculture and rural development in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.

    This initiative proves that a simple drop can ripple into lasting change, quenching more than just thirst in India’s villages. 
     

  • AIB vibes return with Noice’s Honest Party laugh riot

    AIB vibes return with Noice’s Honest Party laugh riot

    MUMBAI: Who needs candles when the jokes are lit? This Diwali, premium food brand Noice swapped syrupy sentiment for sidesplitting humour, teaming up with comedy favourites Tanmay Bhat, Rohan Joshi, Aishwarya Mohanraj and Lekh Uthaiah for “The Honest Party,” a hilarious spin on festive chaos that’s got everyone talking.

     

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    A post shared by Tanmay Bhat (@tanmaybhat)

     

    The video, which brings back serious AIB energy, takes viewers inside a Diwali house party gone delightfully off the rails, with awkward plus-ones, uninvited guests, and friends roasting each other over flirting fails and Formula 1 impressions.. Amid the laughter, one thing stays Noice: the snacks. From Mathura ke pede to Lebanese pita pockets, every gag is matched by a mouthful of flavour.

    In less than 24 hours, the film has notched up over 2.2 million views and 26,000 reposts, proving that when it comes to festive ads, funny beats filmi.

    “We wanted to capture real conversations and those perfectly imperfect Diwali moments,” said Noice spokesperson Royan Mody. “This campaign celebrates laughter, indulgence, and snacks that are as authentic as the banter.”

    Noice, known for its clean-label, small-batch food crafted with local makers, is fast becoming India’s go-to for fresh, honest bites. Its festive line-up, featuring preservative-free kaju katli, besan laddoos, bikaneri sev, and butter biscuits, pairs nostalgia with a modern twist, wrapped in packaging that’s as Instagrammable as the punchlines.

    With The Honest Party, Noice proves that this Diwali, the sweetest thing isn’t the mithai, it’s the comeback of chaotic comedy. 
     

  • Cairns Crocodiles make waves in India ahead of 2026 festival

    Cairns Crocodiles make waves in India ahead of 2026 festival

    MUMBAI: At the thoroughfares of Juhu Tara Road, inside the warm and welcoming setting of Soho House Mumbai, Misfits Media CEO David Hovenden and Cairns Crocodiles Special Envoy Sangeeta Leach unleashed the India chapter for the Asia-Pacific creative community, of three days of awards, masterclasses, and industry networking event planned for May 12–14, 2026, in Cairns, Australia.

    The exclusive evening brought together bigwigs from leading marketing, advertising, and creative agencies such as Leo Burnett, Lintas, Brandmusiq, and Schbang. The room bustled with laughter, lively and insightful conversations, and a shared joie de vivre about the media, entertainment and advertising industry as Hovenden and Leach spoke about how Cairns Crocodiles aims to be a stepping stone for creative minds across the world.

    In a candid tête-à-tête with Indian Television’s Megha Misra, CEO David Hovenden recalled how the idea of starting the festival was conceived in the most unexpected of times, during the peak of the pandemic.  

    “In 2020, when covid happened, we said, this is going to happen. And we tried to stand the event up. But because of the changing nature of covid and border restrictions, we had to reschedule it five times.” Hovenden noted. “Australia’s states had different rules, and people weren’t even allowed to move within them. So we kept shifting dates, hoping we could finally make it work. Every time we cancelled and moved it again, more people got on board, cheering us on and barracking for us.”

    What began as a logistical nightmare soon turned into a marketing success. “Who would’ve thought covid could be a brilliant marketing tool?” he added. “Everyone felt sorry for us and they started rooting for us. In the end, it worked out brilliantly.”

    After two years of perseverance, Hovenden and his team realised they had built something people truly loved. “We started seeing participants not just from across Australia, but also from parts of Asia,” he said. “That’s when we knew it was time to grow… to make it bigger and more inclusive.”

    The decision was made to transform the event into a truly Asia-Pacific celebration and introduce a dedicated awards programme to honour creativity across the region. “It couldn’t just be an Australian event,” Hovenden explained. “We’re part of a wider creative region, and it was important to reflect that inclusivity.”

    And that’s how the Cairns Crocodiles came to life, evolving from the tongue-in-cheek name into a full-fledged festival of creativity and connection.

    “Over the past three years, we’ve travelled to India, Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Korea, inviting people to participate, collaborate and showcase their best work,” Hovenden noted. “We’re finally seeing that momentum build.”

    Before moving to address the attendees at the soiree, Hovenden brought out a set of the ‘Hatchlings’ awards, the festival’s category for young participants under 30. The Hatchlings trophies are particularly special. Each team receives two separate trophies, one for each member, designed in the shape of a young crocodile hatchling. When placed together, the two pieces form a single trophy, embodying both teamwork and the festival’s spirit of nurturing new talent. The playful design also inspired the name “Hatchlings,” symbolising the next generation of creative professionals ready to make their mark.

    The Cairns Crocodiles Festival celebrates world-class creativity across advertising, marketing, media and brand. In 2025 more than 2,100 of the region’s most influential agency leaders, marketers and rising stars descended on Cairns for three days of awards, inspiration, learning and unforgettable networking.

    Early ticket sales and enquiries are pointing to this number ballooning out to more than 3000 high powered delegates for 2026, with an expanded presence in particular from India.

    With an ambitious objective to surpass previous participation turnout, Hovenden didn’t shy away from setting a bold target.

    “I want to have over 5,000 participants next year,” he said. “With India having some of the sharpest creative minds and the most dynamic storytelling cultures in the world, we’re happy to encourage more participation from here.”

    As the Cairn Crocodiles CEO put it, this wasn’t just another meet-and-greet, it was a teaser of what’s to come. The Cairns Crocodiles, often dubbed the ‘Cannes of the Asia-Pacific’, are eyeing India as a key creative hub and a vital audience for their upcoming 2026 edition.

    “We’re here to build genuine partnerships, not just host an event,” Hovenden added. “This is the beginning of an exciting creative bridge between Australia and India.”

    Taking a cue from Hovenden, co-founder Sangeeta Leach spoke about the spirit that defines the festival. “I think the most important thing about the Cairns Crocs is that creativity is something we take very seriously. We’re fun, we’re candid, we’re honest. We are real.”

    There were also two past jury members of Cairns, guests of honour and long-time friends present at the soiree, who shared their own experiences with the festival: Ex-BBH & Publicis Worldwide, India CEO Subhash Kamath and Brandmusiq CEO and founder Rajeev Raja. The two friends reminisced about their vibrant experiences at the event in Cairns.

    “I found that at Cairns, there’s a real genuineness and intellectual honesty in the way ideas are nurtured. After graduating and earning my PhD, it felt refreshing to return to that kind of nurturing environment, almost like being back in a nursery. That’s the kind of simplicity and honesty with which Cairns has truly flourished,” shared Kamath, encouraging his fellow attendees to spread the word that Cairns in Tropical North Queensland, Australia is the place to be.

    His sentiments were echoed by his dear friend Rajeev Raja, who said he had an absolute blast attending the Cairns Crocodiles in 2025.

    “I found the attendees in Cairns to be incredibly welcoming, inspiring and a whole lot of fun. I was particularly taken with keynote speaker Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus,” said Raja, who enthralled crowds in 2025 with an onstage performance with his legendary jazz flute.  

    Another significant announcement made at the event was that the Cairns Crocodiles would officially be opening a permanent Indian Office with the promotion of Bhavika Sharma to general manager India.

    “I am delighted to be moving to the land of my parent’s birth and super excited to be calling Mumbai, the city of dreams, my new home. I look forward to continuing to engage the marvellous Indian creative community and bringing many of you across to Cairns in May 2026,” said Sharma.

    The 2026 edition of the Cairns Crocodiles promises to be bigger and more inclusive than ever. The festival has expanded its awards categories to include new regional-specific Asia segments, designed to celebrate standout work from South-east, South and North-east Asia. For the first time, it will also introduce new regional awards that recognise market-leading campaigns across Asia-Pacific subregions.

    The Hatchlings competition, which shines a spotlight on emerging talent, is also getting a creative boost, now welcoming entries in ‘Print & Publishing’ and ‘Out of Home’ categories to give young creatives even more ways to showcase their skills. The judging framework has been refined too, with a sharper focus on clarity, effectiveness and real-world impact.

    To better accommodate international participants, deadlines for Hatchlings have been moved earlier, ensuring smoother visa processes for finalists. Additionally, the 2026 programming will embrace richer, more inclusive content that reflects the diversity and creative energy of the region.

     

  • Funskool plays it smart this festive season

    Funskool plays it smart this festive season

    MUMBAI: Funskool India is turning up the cheer this season with ten brand-new toys and games designed to delight every age, from toddlers stacking cars to families chasing wins on the board.

    The home-grown toymaker’s latest lineup brings together some of its most loved in-house brands: Giggles, Handycrafts, and Fundough, alongside licensed international favourites from Molto, Spain. Each promises a dash of creativity, colour and festive fun.

    For the littlest hands, Giggles rolls out my first vehicle gift set, a 4-in-1 pack featuring stack-a-car, dump truck, aeroplane and caterpals, and my first playtime gift set, complete with a slide tower, shape-sorting gear box and baby action ball.

    Older kids can try their hand at the refreshed sequence classic, the timeless game of luck and logic, perfect for family nights that stretch into laughter-filled marathons.

    The crafty bunch haven’t been forgotten either. The Handycrafts diya décor kit and Fundough’s super activity kit promise to keep little fingers busy while fuelling imagination and fine motor skills.

    Adding an international flair, Molto’s colourful trucks: fire, dumper, garbage and police, come with nifty tiltable and flip-up features, tailor-made for adventure seekers aged 18 months and up.

    “Toys and games bring joy and boost imagination,” said Funskool India CEO K.A. Shabir. “This festive season, we hope to help build a generation of creative young minds who will shape India’s future.”

    With prices ranging from Rs 165 to Rs 1,549, the new toys are already lighting up store shelves, just in time to make every child’s festive wish come true.
     

  • Fixderma’s Pimple Police goes on patrol to crack down on breakouts in colleges

    Fixderma’s Pimple Police goes on patrol to crack down on breakouts in colleges

    MUMBAI: Acne beware, the Pimple Police are in town! Fixderma is taking its dermatologist-prescribed skincare to the streets (and lecture halls) with a playful new initiative aimed at educating young adults on safe, science-backed routines. The campaign, visiting 35 leading colleges across NCR and Mumbai, is turning skincare into an interactive, hands-on experience that’s as fun as it is informative.

    The concept is simple yet clever: Fixderma’s “Pimple Police” issue an ‘Arrest Warrant’ to Clear Skin, encouraging students with flawless complexions to maintain their glow while motivating those battling breakouts to achieve a clearer, healthier skin. Using mobile skincare vans, the initiative brings dermatologists and brand experts directly to students, offering live consultations, myth-busting sessions, and practical demonstrations of effective routines for acne-prone and sensitive skin.

    Fixderma founder and CEO Shaily Mehrotra explained the timing: “College is the stage where young people begin exploring skincare independently. With the Pimple Police initiative, we want to reach them at this pivotal point helping them make informed choices and understand that skincare is not a luxury, it’s self-care for life.”

    Adding to the excitement Fixderma director of marketing Anurag Sharma said, “Pimple Police is about simplifying skincare for the youth in a way that’s both educational and exciting. We’re creating conversations, not campaigns encouraging students to understand their skin rather than chase trends.”

    Dermatologists are also on board to provide credible guidance. Anuradha from Fixderma highlighted, “Many young adults experiment with products without understanding their skin’s needs. Our sessions aim to debunk myths, guide them towards mindful skincare habits, and introduce them to safe, dermatologist-approved routines.”

    With outreach support from 245 Degrees Communication, Fixderma’s Pimple Police seeks to democratise skincare, turning students into a generation of informed, confident consumers who prioritise health over hype. By merging education with entertainment, the initiative redefines how young adults perceive skincare not as a fleeting trend, but a lasting investment in their confidence and well-being.

    From witty warrants to mobile vans, the campaign is set to transform campuses into hubs of clear-skin advocacy, giving acne-prone teens the tools, knowledge, and confidence to take control of their skin. In doing so, Fixderma isn’t just fighting pimples, it’s creating a movement, one campus at a time.

     

  • WPP and Google forge $400m AI alliance to turbocharge marketing campaigns

    WPP and Google forge $400m AI alliance to turbocharge marketing campaigns

    CALIFORNIA: WPP and Google have announced a five-year expansion of their partnership that represents nothing short of a full-throated embrace of artificial intelligence as the defining competitive advantage in modern marketing. The creative powerhouse will pour $400m into Google technologies—cloud infrastructure, generative models, cutting-edge AI systems—betting that the combination can compress months of campaign planning, creative development and media buying into days, and unlock growth that conventional efficiency drives could never reach.

    The deal, cemented at Google’s Mountain View headquarters with WPP chief executive Cindy Rose, Google Cloud chief Thomas Kurian, and senior leadership from both organisations gathered around the table, aims to fundamentally revolutionise how brands connect with customers at scale. Rather than simply speeding up existing processes or squeezing more productivity from existing workflows, the partners plan to enable something far more radical: real-time personalisation for millions of people simultaneously, powered by bespoke AI models that learn, adapt and optimise on the fly.

    The ambition is extraordinary. WPP will receive preferred early access to Google’s latest generative models—Veo for video generation, Imagen for image creation, and a suite of others still in development—all integrated directly into WPP Open, the firm’s proprietary AI platform for marketing. The practical impact is already staggering. Campaign-ready creative assets that would traditionally take weeks to produce can now be generated in days. Efficiency gains are reaching 70 per cent. Asset utilisation is accelerating 2.5 times over. For one global retailer pilot, these aren’t abstract metrics: they translated to 98 per cent accuracy in audience targeting and an 80 per cent boost in operational efficiency, freeing entire marketing teams to focus on strategy rather than execution.

    WPP Media, the group’s media planning and buying division, will deploy bespoke audience models powered by Google DeepMind’s AI products through a new solution called Open Intelligence. The promise: build custom audience segments and deploy hyper-targeted campaigns across all channels—including Google Ad Platforms—with unprecedented speed and precision. For a multinational energy company, this looked like developing a custom AI Marketing Agent that automatically generates comprehensive marketing briefs, connects stakeholders to a single point of contact, and draws on a library of best-practice documents, past campaign performance and proven playbooks. The system works in real time, adapting to local challenges across multiple markets.

    The partnership extends into the creative layer itself. AKQA, WPP’s design and innovation company, is developing a new generation of AI-powered experiences that transform static websites into intelligent, generative platforms. The live AKQA Generative Store recreates the experience of personalised luxury retail service digitally—dynamically adapting product visuals, messaging and recommendations for each customer in real time. AKQA Generative UI, launching imminently, will instantly generate tailored, on-brand pages for users across enterprise and B2B contexts, with no manual intervention required.

    Privacy and data security thread through the entire architecture. Using InfoSum’s Bunkers technology, now integrated into WPP Open and available on Google Marketplace, WPP can enforce secure data collaboration without physically moving sensitive customer data. This allows brands to harvest deeper, richer insights for AI marketing whilst maintaining ironclad privacy protection—a crucial advantage in an era of tightening data regulation and consumer scrutiny.

    The talent dimension is equally ambitious. WPP’s Creative Technology Apprenticeship programme, which has placed more than 50 early-career technologists across WPP agencies since 2022, will expand dramatically with Google joining as the primary curriculum partner. The goal is audacious: train over 1,000 creative technologists by 2030 in a world-leading curriculum covering creative coding, generative AI and robotics. These apprentices will work on real-world challenges from major clients—L’Oréal, Unilever and others—building the next generation of marketing talent fluent in machine learning, AI prompt engineering and algorithmic thinking.

    Beyond client work, Google AI will also transform WPP’s internal operations. Automated data analysis, intelligent resource allocation and instant access to global insights will flow through WPP’s workflows, accelerating the development of solutions, sharpening team responses and ultimately delivering superior speed and value to clients worldwide. The logic is clear: make the machine fast enough and the organisation responds like an organism, not a bureaucracy.

    There is a feedback loop built into the model that gives WPP an unusual advantage. New solutions are collaborated on, tested and validated first within Google’s own marketing operations—real-world testing grounds where ideas either survive or die quickly. The insights flow back to WPP clients, who receive solutions already battle-tested against the toughest marketing challenges. In a rapidly evolving AI landscape crowded with noise and overpromise, that’s a rare competitive edge.

    Rose called it a redefinition of what’s possible for clients. Kurian framed it as harnessing generative and agentic AI to transform business outcomes. Google global marketing senior vice-president Lorraine Twohill spoke of exploring what marketing and storytelling look like in a new era.

    But beneath the corporate language lies a harder truth: the pace of marketing innovation just accelerated dramatically, and the winners will be those organisations—agencies, brands, technologists—that can think and move at machine speed. Everyone else faces a widening gap between aspiration and execution.