MAM

Unilevers’ Project Sunlight promises a brighter future

Published

12 years ago

November 25, 2013

MUMBAI: Earlier this year, Indian TV channels aired a TV commercial set in a village where a majoirty of children succumbed to diarrhea even before they could complete two years. It then panned to a man who walked on his hands in to a temple in gratitude of his son turning five. All this in a modern India where Audis and Lamborghinis speed across expressways. The TV commercial was a public messaging initiative by multinational giant Hindustan Unilever (HUL) and it sought to encourage healthy handwashing habits amongst children on the back of its brand Lifebuoy.

Similarly, on 20 November, celebrated world over as Universal Children’s Day, the company – no stranger to emotionally connecting with people – launched a brand new initiative christened ‘Project Sunlight,’ with an equally moving advertisement/film.

An extension of HUL’s ‘Sustainable Living Plan’ launched in 2010, ‘Project Sunlight’ aims to make sustainable living desirable and achievable by inspiring people to look at the possibilities of a world where everyone lives well and within the natural limits of the planet.

The ad film is aptly titled ‘Why bring a child into this world?’ and starts with expectant parents across the globe sharing their concerns about bringing a child into a world fraught with natural and man-made disasters, then going on to allay their fears and explain how it is the best possible time to do so.

Also launched in Brazil, Indonesia, UK and the US apart from India, ‘Project Sunlight’ is designed to appeal to people everywhere, particularly parents, encouraging them to join what Unilever (HUL’s parent) sees as a growing community of people who want to make the world a better place for their children and for future generations.

As part of the launch, Unilever plans to help two million children through its ongoing partnerships: providing school meals through the World Food Programme; supporting Save the Children to provide clean, safe drinking water; and improved hygiene through UNICEF. In collaboration with UNICEF, it aims to reach out to 500,000 school children in 3,500 schools across India and set up hand washing facilities.

Said HUL CEO & MD Sanjiv Mehta in a press statement: “The launch of ‘Project Sunlight’ is a significant milestone in the history of our company. We believe that large companies like ours have to be part of the solution to the problems the world is facing. Adopting sustainable lifestyles and people using their purchasing power to make consumption choices that are good for them and good for the world are important factors in the drive to reducing social inequality and averting the worst climate change predictions – to make sustainable living commonplace.”

Guided by Unilever’s consumer insight, including new international research commissioned by the company, ‘Project Sunlight’ demonstrates that children are key to motivating adults to want to adopt more sustainable lifestyles and are a powerful influence on changing parental behaviour.

On the campaign, said Unilever chief marketing & communications officer Keith Weed: “In the first stage of ‘Project Sunlight,’ we are inviting people to take three simple actions. We want to help people ‘See’ a brighter future; in order to do this, we are inviting people to watch a film online which aims to inspire and motivate people. We want to encourage them to ‘Act’ by doing small things which, added together, contribute to a better society and environment. Ultimately, we want people to ‘Join’ the movement and become part of a growing community of like-minded people and organisations who all want to play their part in building a brighter future.”

Why did HUL choose the name Sunlight? “We chose the name Sunlight as a tribute to our founder William Lever, whose audacious vision 130 years ago to ‘make cleanliness commonplace’ with Sunlight soap inspired Unilever’s equally ambitious purpose today: to make sustainable living commonplace. Sunlight also reflects the sense of possibility and optimism which characterises Unilever’s approach,” informed Weed.

‘Project Sunlight’ will initially go live on an online hub – www.projectsunlight.com – which brings together the social mission stories of Unilever brands across the world, and invites consumers to get involved in doing small things which help their own families, others around the world and the planet.

The film, especially commissioned by Unilever and directed by Academy Award winning director Errol Morris, inspires people to see the future in a more positive and optimistic way. The Indian version of the film has a voiceover by actor Shah Rukh Khan.

IndustrySpeak

As a parent it touched me. I would be lying if I said I don’t worry about the future each time my boys were on the way. It feels good to know that someone else is also thinking about kids’ future. It is very refreshing. It is a completely different way of looking at the future. Thanks to many of the science fiction novels and Hollywood blockbusters, we sometimes feel the future will be grim and tough. We all collectively have overlooked the fact that life is actually getting better every given day. And to top it all, hearing SRK, the parent, talk just makes the film more relatable. Also SRK’s popularity with the masses will pull in more eyeballs to this campaign.

Abhijit Avasthi, NCD, Ogilvy & Mathers

Today, consumers buy brands for what they believe in and stand for rather than what they preach/tell about themselves. It’s important to have good karma. And to associate a celebrity with it will only propel the idea to a larger section of the population. Remember Lead India? It used the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Karan Johar among many others, which gave it prominence.

Why bring a child into this world? is a common question on the minds of many. It is a lovely idea and shows that today, when companies are taking away from the environment; there are some who want to give back to the world.

Nisha Singhania, co-founder and director, Infectious

For a company of that stature to come and say that yes, the present looks dicey but we are working towards a brighter future, says a lot about their determination. If one looks at the film, it shows a beautiful insight because today, couples do discuss and are apprehensive about bringing new life into the world. It might help some to rethink on the subject.

As for a voiceover by SRK, I’m not too sure if it will help the film’s reach because it is not as distinctive as Amitabh Bachchan’s voice. Having said that, it is such a beautiful film that it doesn’t need someone to help push it.

Arun Iyer, NCD, Lowe Lintas

Usually it’s corporations that need an image makeover that go heavy on CSR initiatives. For instance Shell and Exxon, whose businesses are not exactly environment-friendly, champion the cause of environmental protection. So naturally, over the years, one has grown cynical about such things.

However, the film, momentarily at least, makes one suspend the cynicism. The emotions it shows are raw, and the lack of slickness makes it work. As it doesn’t come across as manipulative, you are drawn in, and empathise with the people it features. Every parent is concerned about the world he is leaving for his children. Perhaps the ideal way to make people realise that it’s important to improve and sustain the planet is to remind them of this. By featuring expectant parents, the idea taps into this insight nicely.

Viral Pandya, co-founder and chief creative officer, Out of the Box

Related Topics:commercial Errol Morris.HUL Living Plan project Sanjiv Mehta Sunlight Sustainabl UNICEF Unilevers

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Netflix India names Rekha Rane director of films and series marketing

Streaming giant bets on a seasoned marketer who helped build Amazon and Netflix into household names

Published

1 day ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Netflix has put a proven brand builder at the helm of its films and series marketing in India, naming Rekha Rane as director in a move that signals sharper focus on audience growth and cultural cut-through in one of its most hotly contested markets.

Rane steps into the role after seven years at Netflix, where she has quietly shaped how the platform sells stories to India. Her latest promotion, effective February 2026, crowns a run that spans brand, slate and product marketing across originals, licensed content and new verticals such as games.

A strategic marketing and communications professional with roughly 15 years’ experience, Rane has spent much of her career building technology-led consumer businesses and new categories, notably e-commerce and subscription video on demand. She was part of the early push that introduced Amazon.in, Prime Video and Netflix to Indian homes, then helped turn them into everyday brands.

At Netflix, she most recently served as head of brand and slate marketing for India from March 2024 to February 2026, leading teams across media and marketing for global and local content portfolios. Before that, as manager for original films and series marketing, she led IP creation and go-to-market strategy for titles including Guns and Gulaabs, Kaala Paani, The Railway Men* and The Great Indian Kapil Show, spanning both binge and weekly-release formats.

Her earlier Netflix roles covered product discovery and promotion in India and integrated campaign strategy to drive conversations around the content slate, product awareness and brand-equity metrics.

Before Netflix, Rane logged more than three years at Amazon in brand marketing roles in Bengaluru. There she handled national and regional campaigns for Amazon.in, worked on customer assistance programmes in growth geographies and contributed to the go-to-market strategy for the launch of Prime Video India.

Her career began well away from streaming. At Reliance Brands in Mumbai, she worked on retail marketing for Diesel and Superdry. A stint at Leo Burnett saw her work on primary research for P&G Tide, mapping Indian shoppers’ paths to purchase. Earlier still, at Orange in the United Kingdom, she rose from sales assistant to store manager, running a team and owning monthly P&L for a retail outlet.

The arc is telling. As global streamers fight for attention in a crowded Indian market, executives who understand both mass retail behaviour and digital habit-building are prized. Rane’s career sits at that intersection.

For Netflix, the bet is simple: in a market spoilt for choice, sharp marketing can still tilt the screen. And with Rane now leading the charge, the streamer is signalling it wants not just viewers, but fandom.

Brands

Orient Beverages pops the fizz with steady Q3 gains and rising profits

Kolkata-based beverage maker reports stronger revenues and profits for December quarter.

Published

1 day ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: A fizzy quarter with a steady aftertaste that’s how Orient Beverages Limited, the company that manufactures and distributes packaged drinking water under the brand name Bisleri closed the December 2025 period, as the Kolkata-based drinks maker reported improved revenues and a healthy rise in profits, signalling operational stability in a competitive beverage market.

For the quarter ended December 31, 2025, Orient Beverages posted standalone revenue from operations of Rs 39.98 crore, up from Rs 36.42 crore in the previous quarter and Rs 33.53 crore in the same quarter last year. Total income for the quarter stood at Rs 42.24 crore, reflecting consistent demand and stable pricing across its beverage portfolio.

Profit before tax for the quarter came in at Rs 3.47 crore, a sharp improvement from Rs 1.31 crore in the September quarter and Rs 0.39 crore a year ago. After accounting for tax expenses of Rs 0.79 crore, the company reported a net profit of Rs 2.68 crore, nearly three times the Rs 0.99 crore recorded in the preceding quarter.

On a nine-month basis, the momentum remained intact. Revenue from operations for the period ended December 31, 2025 rose to Rs 117.66 crore, compared with Rs 106.95 crore in the corresponding period last year. Net profit for the nine months climbed to Rs 5.51 crore, more than double the Rs 2.18 crore reported in the same period of the previous financial year.

The consolidated numbers told a similar story. For the December quarter, consolidated revenue from operations stood at Rs 45.06 crore, while profit after tax came in at Rs 2.06 crore. For the nine-month period, consolidated revenue touched Rs 133.57 crore, with net profit of Rs 4.49 crore, underscoring the group’s improving profitability trajectory.

Operating expenses remained largely controlled, with cost of materials, employee benefits and other expenses broadly aligned with revenue growth. The company continued to operate within a single reportable segment beverages simplifying its cost structure and reporting framework.

The unaudited financial results were reviewed by the Audit Committee and approved by the Board of Directors at its meeting held on 7 February 2026. Statutory auditors carried out a limited review and reported no material misstatements in the results.

In a market where margins are often squeezed by input costs and competition, Orient Beverages’ latest numbers suggest the company has found a reliable rhythm not explosive, but steady enough to keep the fizz alive.

MAM

Washington Post CEO exits abruptly after newsroom cuts spark backlash

Leadership change follows layoffs, protests and a bruising battle over trust.

Published

1 day ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: When the presses are rolling but patience runs out, even the editor’s chair isn’t safe. The Washington Post announced on Saturday that its chief executive and publisher Will Lewis is stepping down with immediate effect, bringing a sudden end to a turbulent two-year tenure marked by financial strain, newsroom unrest and public backlash.

Lewis’s exit comes just days after the Bezos-owned newspaper announced sweeping job cuts that triggered protests outside its Washington headquarters and a wave of anger from readers and staff. While newspapers across the US are grappling with shrinking revenues and digital disruption, Lewis’s leadership had increasingly come under fire for how those pressures were handled.

The Post confirmed that Jeff D’Onofrio, a former Tumblr CEO who joined the organisation last year as chief financial officer, has taken over as CEO and publisher, effective immediately. In an email to staff, later shared by reporters on social media, Lewis said it was “the right time for me to step aside.”

The leadership change follows the announcement of large-scale redundancies earlier this week. While the Post did not officially confirm numbers, The New York Times reported that around 300 of the paper’s roughly 800 journalists were laid off. Entire teams were dismantled, including the Post’s Middle East bureau and its Kyiv-based correspondent covering the war in Ukraine.

Sports, graphics and local reporting were sharply reduced, and the paper’s daily podcast, Post Reports, was suspended. On Thursday, hundreds of journalists and supporters gathered outside the Post’s downtown office in protest, calling the cuts a blow to public-interest journalism.

Former executive editor Marty Baron described the moment as “among the darkest days in the history of one of the world’s greatest news organisations.”

Lewis defended his record in his farewell note, saying “difficult decisions” were taken to secure the paper’s long-term future and protect its ability to publish “high-quality nonpartisan news”. But his tenure coincided with growing scrutiny of editorial independence at the Post.

Owner Jeff Bezos faced criticism for reining in the paper’s traditionally liberal editorial page and blocking an endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris ahead of the 2024 US election. The move was widely seen as breaking the long-standing firewall between ownership and editorial decision-making.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, around 250,000 digital subscribers cancelled their subscriptions after the paper declined to endorse Harris. The Post reportedly lost about $100 million in 2024 as advertising and subscription revenues slid.

While the wider newspaper industry continues to battle declining print advertising and the pull of social media, some national titles have stabilised. Rivals such as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times have managed to build sustainable digital businesses, a turnaround that has so far eluded the Post despite its billionaire backing.

As Jeff D’Onofrio steps into the role, the challenge is stark, restore confidence inside the newsroom, win back readers who walked away, and prove that one of America’s most storied newspapers can still find its footing in a brutally competitive media landscape.