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  • TOC deploys Cavalry to rewrite entertainment PR rules

    TOC deploys Cavalry to rewrite entertainment PR rules

    MUMBAI: The chaos of India’s entertainment market has left a gap, stories get lost in noise. Enter Cavalry Media, a full-service entertainment division from The Other Circle (TOC), designed to make headlines that actually stick. This is not about fleeting coverage; it’s about building narratives that linger in the cultural imagination.

    Cavalry will focus on high-velocity entertainment ecosystems, including Hindi cinema, OTT platforms, creators, musicians, celebrities, and elite sports. Its approach is clear, replace scattergun PR with carefully targeted campaigns that integrate media strategy, digital IP, data analytics, and brand tie-ups.

    TOC founder and CEO Aakanksha Gupta said, “Authentic storytelling is the only currency that lasts. Cavalry scales this philosophy, blending creativity with intelligence to ensure clients don’t just participate in culture, they lead it.”

    Cavalry group head of entertainment Prathmesh Chavan added, “The modern audience is too savvy for reactive PR. Every launch, every film, every debut becomes a cultural moment, structured to endure well beyond opening weekend.”

    Cavalry offers a 360-degree approach, including influencer campaigns, experiential activations, crisis management, and intellectual property development. The division inherits TOC’s 12-year legacy, boasting collaborations with some of India’s most influential names: Sonam Kapoor, Kalki Koechlin, Bhuvan Bam, Rishabh Pant, Armaan Malik, Abhishek Sharma, Santanu Hazarika, and Upasana Kamineni Konidela.

    With Cavalry, TOC is not just making noise; it’s composing a symphony of stories designed to resonate, endure, and lead the conversation.

  • Srijita Das Roy named VP at FTA Global

    Srijita Das Roy named VP at FTA Global

    MUMBAI: FTA Global, the new-age marketing company, has named Srijita Das Roy as vice president of brand & communications. Tasked with steering the company’s internal and external brand narrative, Das Roy will focus on transforming FTA Global into a fast, tactical and accountable marketing powerhouse.

    With over 11 years in marketing and communications, Das Roy joins from NP Digital India, where she was director, managing marquee accounts, launching client video testimonial programmes, and leading cross-functional teams spanning SEO, paid media, social and technology.

    “Srijita brings the perfect mix of strategic vision and hands-on execution. Her expertise in integrated delivery frameworks will accelerate FTA Global’s position as a marketing operating system,” said FTA Global founder & managing director Senthil Kumar Hariram.

    Das Roy said, “I’m excited to join FTA Global at this pivotal moment. I believe lasting growth comes from putting people before the company. My goal is to build a brand that empowers both the organisation and its people to grow with purpose.”

    FTA Global, founded by Senthil Kumar Hariram, positions itself as a high-performance marketing operating system. Its Team-as-a-Subscription (TaaS) model embeds growth teams into client workflows, delivering expert solutions across SEO, paid media, content, creative and analytics, blending human insight with advanced technology for faster, efficient brand growth.

  • CXO commands brands with AI power play

    CXO commands brands with AI power play

    MUMBAI: When brands juggle data, design and listings, things can get messy, but Streamoid’s new AI command centre, CXO, is here to tidy it all up. Launched in Bengaluru on 14 October 2025, CXO promises to help small teams run global commerce with the efficiency of a billion-dollar operation.

    The platform tackles the root of a common problem, poor product data. Incomplete or inconsistent data disrupts everything from search and recommendations to planning and conversions. CXO fixes quality at the source and carries it seamlessly through design, studio shoots and catalogue execution.

    CXO is battle-tested in fashion and lifestyle, but its reach spans any product sold online, from apparel and accessories to home and beauty. It is expanding to support commerce, planning and content activation across retail sectors.

    The platform is built around three core modules. Artifax turns trends and sales signals into concept boards and factory-ready tech packs, compressing design cycles. Photogenix orchestrates shoots, enforces brand guidelines and produces on-model and lifestyle imagery and short-form video, even for tricky categories like kidswear. Catalogix ingests internal and approved external data, enriches product content with AI, and publishes consistent listings across every channel.

    Context-aware AI agents automatically choose the best models for each task, while humans retain full editing control. Every adjustment trains brand-specific models, improving quality over time without losing oversight.

    “CXO is the command centre for modern brands,” said Streamoid co-founder Rohan Manthani. “It enables small teams to design the right products, generate on-brand visuals and publish accurate listings everywhere, all from one place.”

    Brands already using CXO include Target, Allbirds, Farfetch, Gap and Tommy Hilfiger. Early adopters report up to 70 per cent faster time-to-market and up to 50 per cent lower operational costs, thanks to automated data enrichment, design briefs, studio orchestration and multi-channel listings.

  • Mythik brings Disney and Amazon veteran Gunjan Bhow on board

    Mythik brings Disney and Amazon veteran Gunjan Bhow on board

    MUMBAI: Mythik, the tech-first entertainment company aiming to become the “Disney from the East”, has appointed Gunjan Bhow, a veteran of Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video and Fire TV, to its global advisory board.

    Bhow joins an illustrious panel of leaders from Softbank, Disney, Marvel, Amazon, BBC and Crunchyroll, who together bring decades of experience in scaling some of the world’s biggest media, entertainment and technology businesses.

    A global figure in digital entertainment, Bhow served as senior vice president and general manager at The Walt Disney Company, where he led direct-to-consumer platforms including Disney Plus, Disney Movies Anywhere and Disney Movie Club. Before that, he played a key role at Amazon in shaping the growth of Prime Video, Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, redefining subscription models in the process.

    Currently a board member at the BBC and broadband company Wide Open West, Bhow also advises organisations on AI, media innovation and customer experience. He has held senior roles at Microsoft and Walgreens Boots Alliance and is an inventor on over 20 patents.

    “Gunjan’s leadership in scaling iconic direct-to-consumer businesses makes him an exceptional addition to Mythik’s advisory board,” said Mythik founder and chief executive Jason Kothari. “He embodies the mix of technology, creativity and consumer focus that defines our vision.”

    Bhow added, “Mythik stands at the intersection of technology, storytelling and audience behaviour. I’m excited to help bring timeless stories from the East to the global stage.”

    He joins a powerhouse board that includes Alok Sama (Softbank), Kun Gao (Crunchyroll), Nick Van Dyk (Disney), Bill Jemas (Marvel), John Lynch (Amazon Studios) and Gui Karyo (Marvel and Dapper Labs).

    Mythik aims to reimagine Eastern mythology, history and folktales for global audiences through technology-led storytelling, backed by a founding team drawn from Disney, Netflix, Amazon Studios, Jio and Tencent.

  • Max Fashion gets a makeover that fits the future

    Max Fashion gets a makeover that fits the future

    MUMBAI: Looks like Max Fashion just hit refresh. The homegrown style favourite has unveiled a brand-new identity and flagship store at Bengaluru’s Phoenix Marketcity, marking a bold stride from racks to experiences.

    The new look isn’t just a logo glow-up, it’s a mindset shift. With a clean, modern design language and an emphasis on how shoppers feel inside the store, Max is moving from being product-first to experience-led. Think open layouts, warm lighting, ambient music, and even a signature scent, all crafted to make fashion feel personal, social, and selfie-ready.

    “Max Fashion has always stood for great style, but today’s customers want more: relevance, ease, and inspiration,” said Max Fashion CEO Sumit Chandna. “Our new identity celebrates individuality while keeping the value promise that Max is known for.”

    The 12,000 square feet flagship store brings this fresh philosophy to life with a dramatic “fashion theatre” display, curated trend edits, and intuitive store navigation that makes shopping feel effortless. Trial rooms come with flattering lighting, checkout happens via sleek digital POS counters, and the “endless aisle” feature lets customers browse more sizes and styles online.

    From bold visuals to reimagined collections featuring easy fits and modern cuts, Max’s reboot is designed for a generation that wants to look good and feel good while doing it.

    With over 500 stores across 140 cities, Max plans to roll out this identity nationwide in the coming months, setting a new tone for value fashion that’s modern, connected, and confidently Indian.

    New look. New vibe. Same Max magic, just made for now.

  • LoglineAI Showcases the Future of AI-Powered Storytelling at MIPCOM 2025

    LoglineAI Showcases the Future of AI-Powered Storytelling at MIPCOM 2025

    Cannes, France: LoglineAI, founded by Vishnu Mohta, is set to make waves at MIPCOM 2025, unveiling how the studio is transforming global content development with its intelligent, human-guided AI workflows.

    At the intersection of creativity and technology, LoglineAI helps studios, streamers, and brands turn ideas, scripts, or audio concepts into cinematic-quality videos—faster, more efficiently, and without compromising emotional depth.

    The studio’s adaptive pipeline addresses real-world production challenges such as character and visual consistency, multi-lingual dubbing with accurate lip-sync, emotion-aware scene design, and rapid previsualization. Its integrated approach reduces cost and turnaround time while maintaining storytelling fidelity and creative control.

    Recent collaborations with SVF Entertainment and Sooper highlight these capabilities—producing AI-generated teasers, visual episodes, and concept-testing promos that have redefined content readiness for streaming and theatrical platforms alike.

    “At LoglineAI, we’re not replacing creativity—we’re amplifying it,” says Vishnu Mohta, Founder of LoglineAI. “Our goal is to help creators and studios move from concept to screen with greater speed, consistency, and imagination—powered by responsible AI.”

    Meet the LoglineAI team at MIP Innovation Lab – Pod P-1.C66, where they’ll be showcasing new AI-assisted production workflows, creative case studies, and global collaboration opportunities.

    ? Learn more at logline.ai 
     

  • Hocco and Haldiram serve Diwali on a cooler note

    Hocco and Haldiram serve Diwali on a cooler note

    MUMBAI: This Diwali, sweet meets chill. Hocco Ice Cream and Haldiram’s have joined forces for Cooler, Together, a festive collaboration that turns classic Indian mithai into dreamy ice cream flavours, including orange barfi and milk cake. Folk legend Mame Khan adds a soulful rhythm, making tradition taste refreshingly modern.

    Created by Collective Creative Labs, the campaign centres on a music-led film celebrating togetherness. Families, friends, and couples share candid festive moments, as folk-fusion beats and vibrant visuals bring the joy of Diwali to life. The palette mixes marigold warmth with soft pastels, letting the new Hocco x Haldiram packs shine as the stars of every frame.

    A Hocco spokesperson said, “We wanted something fun this Diwali, bringing people together over a sweet treat. Working with Haldiram’s felt like the perfect match.” Collective Creative Labs CEO Sanjana Jain added, “With ‘Cooler, Together’, we celebrate the harmony of nostalgia and novelty through sound, visuals, and rhythm.”

    By merging heritage flavours with contemporary flair, Hocco and Haldiram’s campaign makes Diwali cooler, sweeter, and a little more unforgettable. With a treat in every bite and music in every frame, this festive fusion promises to turn celebrations into a flavourful affair.

  • Asli sona shines as Sonakshi strikes gold with Instamart this Diwali

    Asli sona shines as Sonakshi strikes gold with Instamart this Diwali

    MUMBAI: When life gives you a golden spoon, you star in an Instamart ad. This Dhanteras, Swiggy Instamart is back to strike gold literally with Asli Sona herself, Sonakshi Sinha, headlining its cheeky festive campaign that promises everything from Soan Papdi to actual sona delivered to your doorstep in just 10 minutes.

    After last year’s nostalgic tribute to Karisma Kapoor’s Sona Kitna Sona Hai, Instamart doubles down on its golden pun game, rolling out a playful new film conceptualised in-house. The ad reimagines the phrase “born with a silver (or golden) spoon” in the most literal and hilarious way possible.

    The campaign traces Sonakshi’s journey from an ultrasound where her golden spoon first makes an appearance, to her childhood on the playground and even a dramatic adult avatar where the same spoon deflects a bullet in a Versailles-like setting. The gleaming prop, much like its owner, steals the show ending with the tongue-in-cheek line: “Sona ka sona toh by birth sorted hai. Aap apna dekh lo?” reminding viewers that their own gold needs are just a tap away.

    “Who doesn’t love a good pun and a great deal?” quips Swiggy head of brand marketing Mayur Hola. “After the iconic Sona Kitna Sona Hai campaign last Diwali, we’re back to remind everyone that asli sona is available on Instamart. And who better to do it than Sonakshi Sinha? From Soan Papdi to sona (gold), whatever you need, get it on Instamart in minutes.”

    And it’s not all sparkle without substance, Instamart’s golden streak is backed by numbers. Last Diwali, a single user in Kochi purchased gold worth Rs 8.3 lakh through the platform, signalling how festive indulgence is now just a few clicks away. This year, the platform has teamed up with leading jewellery brands like Malabar Gold, Kalyan Jewellers, MMTC, and Mia by Tanishq, offering certified gold and silver coins right to customers’ doors.

    With 24/7 delivery now expanded across cities including Delhi, Noida, and Gurugram, Instamart continues to redefine what “instant” means in quick commerce. From smartphones and luxury watches to festive jewellery, it’s all about blending convenience with indulgence wrapped in a dash of humour and a whole lot of gold.

    As Sonakshi’s spoon gleams and bullets bounce off, one thing’s clear: in the fast lane of festive shopping, Instamart isn’t just serving speed, it’s serving sparkle.
     

  • Snehita Chakravorty joins KFC India to lead dine-in marketing strategy

    Snehita Chakravorty joins KFC India to lead dine-in marketing strategy

    MUMBAI: KFC India has appointed Snehita Chakravorty as marketing manager – dine-in business, as the quick-service restaurant (QSR) major sharpens its focus on elevating in-restaurant experiences and deepening consumer engagement.

    Chakravorty announced her move on LinkedIn, expressing excitement about joining Yum! Brands’ flagship chain and her passion for the QSR space.

    She joins KFC India from Jubilant Foodworks, where she served as deputy manager – marketing for Domino’s Pizza. At Domino’s, she drove region-specific campaigns, high-impact brand activations and new store marketing initiatives, working closely with digital and operations teams to improve customer experience and brand visibility.

    With a strong grasp of India’s fast-evolving QSR market, Chakravorty is expected to play a key role in redefining KFC’s dine-in positioning: a priority area as in-store experience becomes a decisive factor in brand differentiation.

    Her appointment underscores KFC India’s continued push to blend brand storytelling, customer insight and experiential innovation in its restaurant network across key markets.

  • Diipa Büller-Khosla reunites India’s supermodels for Inde Wild’s new haircare launch

    Diipa Büller-Khosla reunites India’s supermodels for Inde Wild’s new haircare launch

    MUMBAI: When heritage meets high science, the result can be strikingly beautiful. Inde wild, the Ayurvedistry-driven beauty brand founded by Diipa Büller-Khosla, has unveiled its latest innovation, the Champi bond repair duo, a next-generation shampoo and conditioner that fuse Ayurveda and biotechnology for advanced bond repair.

    In a nod to Indian beauty’s golden era, the campaign reunites Carol Gracias, Lisa Haydon, Ujjwala Raut and Indrani Dasgupta:  supermodels who once defined the country’s fashion landscape, alongside Büller-Khosla herself. The visuals celebrate resilience, grace, and timeless Indian beauty.

    Building on the viral success of its Champi Oil, the new Duo harnesses 21 Ayurvedic super herbs such as bhringraj, amla and brahmi, combined with biotech actives including fiberhance, sani scalp, xylishine and ceramides. The result: a lightweight formula designed to rebuild broken bonds, smooth frizz, and strengthen strands from within, without stripping or residue.

    Priced at Rs 1,150 each for 130 ml, the products are available on Tira, Nykaa, and globally via Sephora and [indewild.com](https://www.indewild.com).

    “With Indian consumers now benchmarking local brands against global standards, we wanted to go beyond expectation,” said founder and CEO Diipa Büller-Khosla. “This isn’t about proving India belongs in the global beauty conversation, it’s about proving we can lead it.”

    Founded in 2021, Inde wild has rapidly scaled from a kitchen-table idea to a projected Rs 100 crore brand by 2025, with investors including Sogal Ventures, True Ventures, and Unilever Ventures. With Sephora retail partnerships across the UK and the brand’s US launch slated for 2026, Indie Wild continues to position Indian beauty at the forefront of global innovation, where ancient ritual meets future-ready science.