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  • Asian Paints goes prime time with Tamil TV-inspired colour guide

    Asian Paints goes prime time with Tamil TV-inspired colour guide

    MUMBAI: What do Tamil prime-time serials and your next wall colour have in common? Quite a lot, if Asian Paints has anything to say about it.

    The paint and décor giant has launched Tractor Emulsion Varnamaalai, a first-of-its-kind shade guide for Tamil Nadu inspired by the vivid sets and characters of popular Tamil TV serials like Kayal, Moondru Mudichu and Singapenne. With the visual flair of leading ladies such as Chaitra Reddy, Swathi Konde and Maneesha Mahesh fronting the guide in full character, Asian Paints brings 65 curated colour combos straight from the screen to your home.

    Cleverly titled Varnamaalai—Tamil for “garland of colours”—the guide features palettes lifted from living rooms, staircases and bedrooms of beloved serials that collectively reach over 41 million viewers a month. It’s smart, striking, and steeped in local flavour.

    Speaking on the launch, Asian Paints Ltd. MD & CEO, Amit Syngle shared, “At Asian Paints, we understand that colour is both a deeply emotional and cultural choice. With Tractor Emulsion Varna Maalai, we’ve transformed that understanding into a truly local and meaningful offering. This shade guide gives consumers in Tamil Nadu a relatable tool to imagine their homes through the familiar lens of characters and settings they see every day. It makes colour selection more intuitive, personal, and inspiring — and reflects our ongoing effort to democratise décor through innovations rooted in culture.”

    Designed around its bestselling Tractor Emulsion, known for anti-fade performance and a four-year warranty, Varnamaalai includes room-wise stencils, styling tips and finish options to help home-owners visualise real spaces with star-approved flair.

    Speaking at the launch, actors Reddy, Konde, and Mahesh shared their thoughts on the shade guide, “Varnamaalai is a beautiful and brilliant offering. Choosing the right colours for your home is often overwhelming, but seeing combinations brought to life through TV serials we watch every day makes the process simple and real. We can’t think of a better brand than Asian Paints to lead and guide this journey.”

    The guide is available at Asian Paints dealer outlets, online, or via SMS. Send “Tractor” to 56161 and have the shades of Tamil Nadu’s biggest blockbusters delivered to your doorstep.

    It’s colour with character—and a little bit of daily soap drama.

  • One last split to rule them all as Valorant Split 3 kicks off today

    One last split to rule them all as Valorant Split 3 kicks off today

    MUMBAI: The battle lines are drawn, and the bullets are digital but the stakes? Very real. South Asia’s most prestigious Valorant showdown OMEN VCSA 2025 Split 3 blasts off today, 27 June, in what promises to be the most high-pressure sprint of the season. With Rs 53 lakh up for grabs and only four golden tickets available to the VCT Ascension Pacific Qualifiers, the eight teams in the fray aren’t just aiming to win, they’re fighting to represent the region on the global stage.

    Running online until 3 July, the final split in this year’s three-part saga will determine which top four teams move to the Ascension Qualifiers (online: 7–8 July, LAN in Gurugram: 12–13 July), where just one squad will earn the honour of donning South Asia’s colours at the VCT Ascension Pacific 2025.

    Who’s in the arena?

    Revenant X Spark (155 points), Velocity Gaming (130), and Reckoning Esports (120) currently top the Challenger Points leaderboard. They return alongside S8ul, Dot Exe Esports, and GE Academy from earlier splits. New challengers XO Ind and Asterisk enter through the Promotion and Relegation bracket, and every match now could shift the leaderboard entirely.

    Velocity Gaming stole Split 1 in a stunning undefeated run. Revenant X Spark bounced back with a LAN-finale victory in Split 2, defeating Reckoning Esports, whose player Kirill ‘moner’ Matsanov bagged the MVP title with a jaw-dropping 258 kills and a flurry of clutch plays.

    This final split isn’t just about glory, it’s about survival. With a cumulative prize pool of Rs 1.13 crore, VCSA 2025 introduced a points-based system to reward consistency across all three splits. Now, with Challenger Points accumulated so far, Split 3 becomes the final checkpoint before Ascension.

    The winner of the upcoming Ascension Qualifiers won’t just hoist a trophy, they’ll enter the VCT Ascension Pacific tournament, facing off against elite teams from across the Asia-Pacific region. The dream? Securing a slot in next year’s prestigious VCT International League.

    “Split 3 is where pressure peaks,” said Nodwin Gaming co-founder and managing director Akshat Rathee. “This is South Asia’s final shot at international glory and fans can expect the fiercest Valorant action yet.”

    Riot Games’ South Asia Esports Lead Sukamal Pegu echoed the sentiment: “Every match is make-or-break. It’s a chance to witness the best of our regional talent rise.”

    Tournament Timeline:

     . Split 3 (Online): 27 June  – 3 July

     .  Ascension Qualifiers (Online): 7 – 8 July

     .  Ascension Qualifiers (LAN – Gurugram): 12 – 13 July

     . Watch Live: Nodwin Gaming YouTube (Hindi & English), Facebook (Hindi)

    With the battlefield heating up and a shot at global domination on the line, Split 3 isn’t just the final leg, it’s the ultimate proving ground. Ready. Aim. Ascend.
     

  • APOS 2025: How JioStar turns sports into co-creation, not just consumption

    APOS 2025: How JioStar turns sports into co-creation, not just consumption

    BALI:  JioStar is no longer content with just broadcasting sport—it’s rewriting the production storybook altogether. Speaking at APOS 2025 in Bali, JioStar head of sports production services & technology Prashant Khanna laid out a bold vision: India as the epicentre of global sports innovation.

    “We don’t just see ourselves as broadcasters or production partners,” Khanna said during a high-energy fireside chat. “We’re in the business of helping India create iconic sporting memories.”

    Khanna spotlighted JioStar’s end-to-end reimagining of the sports viewing experience—infused with tech, empathy, and staggering interactivity. Think sign-language feeds, descriptive audio for the visually impaired, vertical videos, motion-capture-powered kids’ streams, and multi-cam toggles.

    “The modern fan doesn’t want to just watch—they want to co-create,” Khanna stressed. “Millions are producing their own version of the game in real time. That’s the expectation.”

    A major catalyst behind this transformation? Starlab, JioStar’s in-house innovation unit that’s quietly building a cloud-native production stack in collaboration with AWS, creators, and start-ups. The result: hyper-personalised, scalable, and immersive experiences beamed across devices in formats fans choose.

    Khanna also highlighted JioStar’s deep investment in talent pipelines through its partnership with the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies—a government-led effort to skill the next generation in sports and live production.

    “It’s not just about what audiences see today. It’s about who shapes that experience tomorrow,” he said.
    Citing the recently concluded 18th season of the IPL as a “turning point,” Khanna revealed the company’s key takeaway: audiences don’t want passive content anymore.

    ““It’s been an eye-opener every single time, but this year, our biggest learning was how deeply involved the consumer is. They no longer want to passively consume what you’re serving them—they want to be part of shaping how the game unfolds over those 4–5 hours.”

    “We saw this play out every day for 2.5 months, through a variety of formats and platforms. Whether it was widescreen or vertical video, Sunday cohort feeds, or kids’ IPs brought to life through motion capture, the engagement was constant. It reinforced that delivering the game in a way fans understand and love is no longer optional-it’s essential,” he said.

    With India firmly on the front foot, JioStar’s playbook proves one thing: the future of sport is no longer just played. It’s produced, personalised, and powered by fans.

  • Zidd Hai Jeet Hai as TTBS celebrates MSME grit this MSME Day

    Zidd Hai Jeet Hai as TTBS celebrates MSME grit this MSME Day

    MUMBAI: What drives India’s small businesses ambition or attitude? Tata Tele Business Services (TTBS) thinks it’s zidd that unrelenting, gritty will to win. And this MSME Day 2025, the brand is spelling it out loud and clear with its new campaign “Zidd Hai To Jeet Hai”, a punchy tribute to the backbone of India’s economy.

    Launched on 27 June , the campaign goes beyond boardroom clichés and brings real MSME hustle to the screen capturing the steely spirit that pushes modest enterprises to punch way above their weight. With a brand film and three hard-hitting stories across tech, banking, and manufacturing, TTBS showcases MSMEs not as underdogs, but as unstoppable forces rewriting India’s growth playbook.

    “In boardrooms and on shop floors, in small towns and big cities, there’s one common thread the zidd to succeed,” said Tata Teleservices senior vice-president of product and marketing Vishal Rally. “MSMEs are the key drivers of India’s economy, and at TTBS, we’re proud to fuel their growth with smart digital solutions.”

    The films, the fire, the fight:

    1.   Tech Pioneers: IT MSMEs coding India’s future, proving that breakthrough innovation doesn’t always need plush offices just persistence.

    2.   Fintech Fixers: Financial inclusion warriors taking banking to Bharat’s unbanked corners, one digital leap at a time.

    3.   Manufacturing Mavericks: Made-in-India heroes delivering world-class goods to global markets from humble beginnings.

    Through these stories, TTBS puts a spotlight on the very sectors it supports with its solutions whether it’s Smartflo Ucaas, secure cloud connectivity or scalable cybersecurity. The message? MSMEs don’t just survive, they scale, when given the right tools.

    The campaign also comes at a time when MSMEs are more crucial than ever. Contributing significantly to India’s GDP and employment, they’re not just business units, they’re engines of economic inclusion and innovation. TTBS, by providing purpose-built digital tools, aims to bridge the tech gap and enable these businesses to thrive in an increasingly connected economy.

    With “Zidd Hai To Jeet Hai”, TTBS isn’t just launching a campaign, it’s raising a toast to the tenacity of those who turn every ‘no’ into a new beginning. Because when India’s MSMEs bet on themselves, they’re not just dreaming big, they’re delivering bigger.

  • LIC Housing Finance puts your name on the door, digitally speaking

    LIC Housing Finance puts your name on the door, digitally speaking

    MUMBAI: What’s the first sign a house is truly yours? LIC Housing Finance thinks it’s seeing your name on the nameplate-and to mark 36 years of enabling that dream, it’s gone digital with a sentimental twist.

    The company, in collaboration with digital agency BC Web Wise, has launched a heartfelt campaign titled ‘Apna Ghar, Apna Naam’, a microsite-led activation that invites users to create and download their very own personalised digital nameplates. No keys, no walls, no paperwork—just your name on the door, digitally rendered as a symbol of aspiration.

    Inspired by LIC HFL’s Foundation Day brand film that celebrates the quiet triumphs of homeownership—from picking wall colours to hanging family portraits—this activation brings the emotion online. Visitors to the site can design custom nameplates and share them across social platforms as a way of manifesting their housing dreams.

    “Owning a home is one of the most personal dreams for many Indians, and the nameplate is often the most visible sign of that dream coming true,” said BC Web Wise associate creative director, Anuja Bharadwaj. “With this activation, we wanted to recreate that moment of pride, even digitally. It’s simple, it’s emotional, and it’s something everyone can relate to.”

    The brand is backing the initiative with a full-throttle digital rollout—reels, stories, user-generated content, and even employee nameplates—all designed to build a community of dreamers proud to say, ‘Apna ghar toh apna hi hota hai.’

  • McDonald’s gets a fry with a side of feels in Siliguri love story

    McDonald’s gets a fry with a side of feels in Siliguri love story

    MUMBAI: A reel that began with home-cooked fries and a lovingly hand-sketched McDonald’s box ended up serving the internet one of its warmest moments this month. The creators behind @patnijipatikijodi posted a short video of a husband recreating the iconic red-and-yellow fries box for his wife—drawing every curve, arch, and crinkle with heart.

    What followed was McDonald’s India flipping the script in style. The brand tracked down the couple in Siliguri and sent them a surprise: a real fries box, perfectly mirroring the husband’s hand-drawn version—this time filled with actual fries and packed with love. The move, imagined and executed by creative agency DDB Mudra, quickly turned into a crowd-puller online.

    The couple returned the favour with another reel, this time unboxing the surprise and praising the brand for its thoughtfulness. The comments section lit up with fans hailing the fast-food giant for its ‘aww-some’ real-world response to a digital love note.

    No paid partnership, no flashy collab—just pure, authentic engagement that fried the internet in the best way possible.

     

     

     

     

  • Juventus ditches straight stripes in a fashion-forward kit by adidas

    Juventus ditches straight stripes in a fashion-forward kit by adidas

    MUMBAI: Juventus is blurring the lines between sport and style this season—literally. The Italian giants have unveiled their new 2025/26 home kit in collaboration with adidas, and it’s anything but traditional.

    The famed black-and-white stripes have undergone a fashion makeover. Instead of clean, uniform lines, the new design features offset and varying stripe widths—an edgy nod to Italian high fashion and a bold throwback to the club’s original colours from 1897, splashed across the adidas logo, club crest, and the signature three stripes.

    The jersey isn’t just eye candy—it’s engineered for performance. The player edition features adidas’ cutting-edge Heat.rdy tech to keep stars cool under pressure, while fans get their hands on the sweat-wicking Aerorady version for everyday wear. Completing the retro-modern look is the Teamgeist collar, last seen on international kits during the 2006 World Cup.

    adidas senior design director, Juergen Rank said, “We’re proud to introduce something a little different this season while still staying true to the club’s iconic DNA. When you think of Italy, two things come to mind – football and fashion. We wanted to take a typically characteristic Italian design theme and reimagine it in a modern and innovative way to merge the best of fashion with the best of football performance. We also wanted to give fans of the club a hit of nostalgia, which we’ve achieved through the pink detailing seen on the club crest and adidas logo.”

    Equal parts nostalgia and next-gen flair, Juventus’ new home kit ensures the Old Lady remains one of the sharpest-dressed sides in Europe.
     

  • Airtel goes big on blocking fraud with OOH blitz

    Airtel goes big on blocking fraud with OOH blitz

    MUMBAI: Airtel is taking its scam-stopping game to the streets — quite literally. Partnering with dentsu India’s out-of-home (OOH) specialist Posterscope, the telecom giant has rolled out a clever and quick-fire OOH campaign to promote ‘SPAM 2.0’, the next phase in its Safe Network proposition, featuring real-time detection and blocking of fraudulent links.

    The campaign’s hero message is ‘Blocking fraud links’. And that promise popped up across everything from metro stations to mall façades, transit hubs, bus shelters and even parking barricades — with witty, hyperlocal lines in regional languages that caught eyes and sparked smiles. Think: ‘Ye gate to khulega, par Airtel pe fraud link nahi khulega.’

    Spread across top metro cities and key markets, the campaign cleverly hit high-traffic zones where users are most vulnerable to distraction — while reinforcing Airtel’s positioning as the nation’s digital watchdog.

    Posterscope’s turnaround was just as slick, the nationwide campaign was planned, produced and executed in under four days. The strategic mix of formats and real-time contextual placements ensured that Airtel’s safety-first message landed when and where it mattered most.

    Posterscope India CEO Imtiyaz Vilatra said, “This campaign perfectly balances innovation with purpose. We translated Airtel’s powerful tech solution into a creative narrative that felt personal and timely. Through hyperlocal execution and speed, we were able to capture attention and build trust, a testament to how OOH can truly drive social impact when done right.”

    SPAM 2.0 isn’t just another tech update — it’s a public service with punchlines, and proof that when safety goes OOH, trust comes home.

    (If you are an Anime fan and love Anime like Demon Slayer, Spy X Family, Hunter X Hunter, Tokyo Revengers, Dan Da Dan and Slime, Buy your favourite Anime merchandise on AnimeOriginals.com.)

  • Travelxp turns up the HD heat in Hungary with Magyar Telekom

    Travelxp turns up the HD heat in Hungary with Magyar Telekom

    MUMBAI: Travelxp is cranking up the wanderlust dial in Hungary, now streaming in high-definition glory on Magyar Telekom. The premium travel and lifestyle network has launched Travelxp HD on the platform, complementing its existing 4K channel and giving Magyar Telekom’s 1.4 million TV subscribers another slick reason to stay glued to their screens.

    Located at channel position 85 on select packages, Travelxp HD brings a fresh burst of armchair escapism to Hungarian homes — from sun-kissed beaches and food trails to adrenaline-pumping adventures and offbeat destinations. All of it comes with the added ease of being fully dubbed in Hungarian, making it even more bingeable for local audiences.

    “Strengthening our partnership with Magyar Telekom, one of Hungary’s most respected  broadcast platforms, is a major milestone for Travelxp in Eastern Europe,” said Travelxp managing director, Europe & Africa, Sumant Bahl. “Hungarian audiences have  shown great enthusiasm for high-quality travel programming, and we’re excited to meet  that demand with immersive, fully localised content.”

    With over 1,000 hours of Hungarian-dubbed programming, Travelxp now reaches over 118 countries in more than 25 languages. The HD and 4K channels operate on distinct feeds, ensuring viewers get a curated buffet of globe-trotting stories in both formats.

    For Magyar Telekom, it’s another feather in the cap — the telco now beams over 160 channels (50+ in HD) and covers more than 33 per cent of Hungarian households, making it a natural partner for Travelxp’s growing European ambitions.

    From Budapest to Borneo, the world just got a little closer — and a whole lot crisper.

    (If you are an Anime fan and love Anime like Demon Slayer, Spy X Family, Hunter X Hunter, Tokyo Revengers, Dan Da Dan and Slime, Buy your favourite Anime merchandise on AnimeOriginals.com.)

  • Pokémon Go takes over India’s Nexus Malls with legendary loot and lively lures

    Pokémon Go takes over India’s Nexus Malls with legendary loot and lively lures

    MUMBAI: Get ready to catch ’em all in real life. Pokémon Go Fest 2025: Global is landing in India, and Niantic is teaming up with Nexus Malls to turn shopping centres into Poké-playgrounds across five major cities. The AR-powered global event, set for 28-29 June, promises exclusive spawns, special research tasks, avatar upgrades, and  for the first time ever, a chance to encounter the mythical Volcanion.

    From Navi Mumbai’s Nexus Seawoods to Delhi’s Select CityWalk, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai, Trainers can immerse themselves in the Pokémon universe through high-energy meetups and interactive zones. In addition to the mall takeovers, virtual Trainer meetups will roll out across 26 cities, including Coimbatore, Kolkata, Guwahati and Dehradun.

    Expressing his excitement on the global edition of Pokémon Go Fest 2025, Niantic Indian manager Sundarraman Ramalingam said, “Pokémon Go Fest 2025: Global is more than just a virtual event, its a celebration of exploration, community, and the spirit of discovery that defines Pokémon Go. With the long-awaited debut of Volcanion, exciting in-game content, and special experiences at Nexus Malls across India, we’re bringing Trainers closer together, no matter where they are in the world.

    He added, “Collaborating with Nexus Malls allows us to bring Pokémon Go to life in spaces that are not only safe and accessible but also deeply rooted in local communities. These vibrant venues help us spark real-world connections and welcome new Trainers into the adventure.”

    Nexus Malls CMO Nishank Joshi said,”We are excited to partner with Pokémon Go Fest 2025: Global and bring this incredible global experience to our malls across India. At Nexus Malls, we are always looking for ways to create vibrant, engaging spaces where communities can come together. Pokémon Go is all about exploration and connection, and our malls are the perfect places to bring those moments to life. This partnership is just the beginning and we look forward to creating many more unique, interactive experiences for our visitors in the future.”

    With bonuses galore, rotating habitats, and a shot at snagging Shiny Carbink or Shiny Frigibax, Nexus is about to become the next big PokéStop. Entry is free, but serious Trainers may want to grab a ticket for exclusive in-game access.

    The hunt begins on 28 June at 10 am. Trainers, charge those power banks — it’s going to be a wild weekend.

    (If you are an Anime fan and love Anime like Demon Slayer, Spy X Family, Hunter X Hunter, Tokyo Revengers, Dan Da Dan and Slime, Buy your favourite Anime merchandise on AnimeOriginals.com.)