MUMBAI: Officewear just got a Gen Z glow-up and it’s serving ambition with a side of attitude. Newme, the fashion-tech brand adored by Gen Z, has teamed up with actor and Gen Z style icon Anushka Sen to launch its first-ever co-designed collection WorkSsnIty. The 500-piece line is a bold step into the 9-to-5 world, tailored for the first-jobber, the side-hustler, and the caffeine-fuelled intern with a Pinterest board full of blazers.
From structured co-ords and pastel-hued tailoring to oversized blazers and breezy elevated basics, WorksenIty is anything but your boss’s wardrobe. Designed for the young and the restless, the collection ditches dull formals for confidence-soaked fits that are equal parts chic and workplace-ready.
“I’ve always admired Newme for celebrating Gen Z style,” said Anushka Sen, who stepped in as Creative CEO for this collection. “Workwear is an overlooked genre, and this is our way of saying bring your whole self to work, style and all.”
Sen didn’t just lend her name, she co-created the collection from concept to final fittings, ensuring each piece reflects the real-world aesthetic of young professionals. Her influence is front and centre in the #Staysenatwork campaign, which features her in scenarios from coffee runs to client meetings all while looking like the main character.
“WorksenIty is more than just clothes, it’s about self-expression at work,” said Newme co-founder and CEO Sumit Jasoria. “Gen Z is entering the workforce in huge numbers, and they’re bringing their individuality with them. With this collection, we’ve built a wardrobe that actually works for them.”
The drop also signals Newme’s evolution. Founded in 2022, the brand has quickly built cult status with over 14 experience stores and a lightning-fast delivery model that drops 500 plus new styles weekly. By adding workwear to its mix, Newme is growing with its audience showing up for job interviews, boardrooms, and every power move in between.
Exclusively available on the Newme app, website, and experience stores, WorksenIty proves one thing loud and clear Gen Z isn’t just dressing for the job they want. They’re dressing like they already own the place.
Mumbai: Lotus Herbals, unleashes a social media campaign with Actor and mega influencer Anushka Sen for its White Glow 3 in 1 Deep Cleansing Facial Foam. As the face for Lotus White Glow, Anushka will feature in a DVC which will run across social media platforms that include Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. The DVC amplifies the attributes of Lotus White Glow 3 in 1 Deep Cleansing Facial Foam, a face wash crafted with a combination of potent ingredients that include Aloe Vera, Milk Enzymes, and Alpha Arbutin. This unique formulation addresses dark spots, sun tan, and dullness, providing a comprehensive solution for all skin types. This innovative Facial Foam is specially curated to deeply cleanse the skin and protect it from UV rays, making it less vulnerable to sun damage. Its unique formulation blocks melanin production, imparting a radiant glow.
The new DVC is a delightful film that targets a youthful GenZ audience and its communication is fresh in terms of style and messaging. The film is dynamic, with the frame shifting between Anushka Sen in her bedroom, lounging in a swimming pool and at a formal event in a snazzy dress. Anushka addresses three major skin problems, dark spots, sun tan and how to get that perfect glow. She asks, if there is a solution that addresses all three issues simultaneously. She empathically answers, Yes and introduces the Lotus White Glow 3 in 1 Deep Cleansing Face Wash as the solution. Looking radiant and beautiful, Anushka speaks directly to the consumer and highlights the powerful ingredients which include Aloe Vera, Milk Enzymes, and Alpha Arbutin, known for their skin benefits. She emphasizes that the face wash with the power of 3x promises clear glowing skin. The film closes by focusing on the White Glow 3 in 1 Deep Cleansing facewash along with all the variants of the White Glow face wash range.
Commenting on the new campaign, Lotus Herbals chairman & managing director Nilin Passi says, “We are excited about our new campaign with Anushka Sen who resonates with digitally savvy GenZ consumers, thanks to her popularity and large fan base. The White Glow deep cleansing face wash is a perfect blend of nature and science, which offers an effective cleansing experience without compromising the skin’s natural moisture balance. Lotus White Glow 3 in 1 Face Wash is your perfect ally for maintaining a clear, glowing complexion, every day.”
Anushka Sen further added, “I’m thrilled to be associated with Lotus Herbals White Glow and their amazing 3 in 1 Facial Foam. This face wash is a total game-changer as it helps reduce dark spots and tan, deeply cleanses, and gives your skin that amazing glow without drying it out. Make it a part of your skin care regime and see the magic.”
The Lotus Herbals White Glow campaign with the stunning Actor and mega influencer Anushka Sen will play out on her social media channels to attract maximum visibility. Through this glamorous campaign, the 22year old Global Youth Icon will reach out to her audience of over 45 million followers. To create maximum buzz for this hi-decibel campaign, Lotus Herbals will also engage over a thousand nano and micro influencers to spread the word on the White Glow 3in 1 facial foam. The campaign will also play out on the brand’s social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. In addition, Lotus Herbals will promote the campaign through In-store branding and POP which will include banners, danglers, table-tops and posters across Retail channels.
Mumbai: Prime Video, India’s most loved entertainment destination, today unveiled a delightful and heartwarming trailer for its upcoming young adult drama, Dil Dosti Dilemma. An adaptation of the book ‘Asmara’s Summer’, published by Penguin Random House and authored by Andaleeb Wajid, this intriguing coming-of-age Original series has been produced by Ten Years Younger Productions with Seema Mohapatra and Jahanara Bhargava serving as Creative Producers. Directed by Debbie Rao and written by Anuradha Tiwari, Bugs Bhargava Krishna, Raghav Dutt, and Manjiri Vijay, the seven-part series is a feel-good drama that emphasizes the significance of embracing one’s roots, nurturing relationships, and discovering oneself. The series boasts of a talented ensemble cast including Anushka Sen, Kush Jotwani, Tanvi Azmi, and Shishir Sharma in lead roles, supported by Shruti Seth, Suhasini Mulay, Vishakha Pandey, Revathi Pillai, and Elisha Mayor playing pivotal roles. Dil Dosti Dilemma will premiere in Hindi, with dubs in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada, exclusively on Prime Video in India and across more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on April 25.
The trailer introduces viewers to Asmara- a witty and charming young girl from a privileged family in Bengaluru, who is excited to spend her summer holidays in Canada. But her plans take an unexpected turn when she ends up at Tibbri Road, the middle-class neighborhood of her maternal grandparents. What she initially views as a punishment soon becomes a journey of new experiences and realizations. Through some mishaps, new friendships, a budding romance, and many heartwarming moments, Asmara begins to understand that there is more to life than material things and luxury vacations.
Debbie Rao, the director of the series, shared, “Dil Dosti Dilemma is a special project for me, marking my second collaboration with my favorite streaming service – Prime Video, following our work on Pushpavalli. When I came across the script, what struck me was its ability to deliver a wholesome narrative that resonates with everyone featuring relatable characters one can truly connect with. Throughout the making of the series, we tried to stay true to the characters, their emotions, and the bonds between different generations – from teenagers to grandparents. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved, and I’m confident it will capture the audience’s hearts worldwide, in more ways than one.”
Sen, who brings Asmara to life in Dil Dosti Dilemma, shares, “Reading the script of this series, was like finding a piece of myself in Asmara’s character – she’s both familiar and unique in her own way. What really drew me to this story, is that it is a celebration of friendships and the importance of family bonds. I believe Dil Dosti Dilemma is a fresh, relatable story that speaks to people of all ages. I’m grateful to our director Debbie, the producers, and the entire Prime Video team for believing in me and giving me this opportunity to portray such a complex, endearing, and relatable character. I’m eagerly looking forward to the series’ launch on April 25, both in India and in over 240 countries, and I can’t wait to see the audiences’ reaction to this beautifully crafted story.”
“I am so thrilled to make my acting debut as Farzaan in Dil Dosti Dilemma, which will always hold a special place in my heart. This show taught me some important life lessons like the significance of self-belief and staying true to oneself, no matter the situation or consequences. It also showed me the power of love and relationships, which have reflected in my performance, adding depth to my character. I’m excited to see how audiences react to my work in Dil Dosti Dilemma,” shared Kush Jotwani.
Azmi, who portrays Asmara’s Nani (maternal grandmother) in the series, shared, “Throughout my career, I’ve always gravitated towards roles that feel real because I believe that authenticity truly challenges an actor. My character in Dil Dosti Dilemma embodies pride in her roots, she embraces change gradually, and is sometimes stubborn but also sees the best in others. I was particularly impressed by the meticulous casting done by the creators and Prime Video, as I believe that it is the most crucial element in bringing a story to life. I have complete confidence that this series will resonate deeply with audiences. It has heart, soul, and relatability that will captivate their attention from the very beginning. I eagerly await the series’ premiere on April 25 on Prime Video and invite everyone to experience this beautiful narrative unfold.”
Sharma, who portrays Asmara’s Nana (maternal grandfather) in Dil Dosti Dilemma, shared his experience working on the series, saying, “Dil Dosti Dilemma marks my third collaboration with Prime Video after Made in Heaven and Permanent Roommates. When I was approached for this series, I learned about its origin in the book ‘Asmara’s Summer’ by Andaleeb Wajid, which immediately caught my attention. Dil Dosti Dilemma serves as a vibrant adaptation of this tale, skillfully capturing its authenticity and relatability while preserving its essence and conveying a touching message about relationships and community. I am confident that audiences, both in India and globally, will deeply appreciate this series for its portrayal of timeless emotions surrounding love, friendships, and embracing one’s legacy and roots.”
Mumbai: COACH India hosted a fun evening on 4th November Saturday, filled with glamour and glitz celebrating the Wear Your Shine campaign at Jio World Drive, Mumbai. The one-of-kind experience of the grand installation and Shine Collection launch pop-up celebrated the spirit of individuality and self-expression this Diwali. The Gen-Z sensation Orry was seen at the COACH Shine event at Jio World Drive, luxury fashion influencers and personalities – Riya Jain, Sukhmani Gambhir, Anushka Sen, Aishwarya Wadhwani, Simone Khambatta, Nishika Lulla, Unnati Malharkar, Manav Chhabra, hosted guests to celebrate an evening of glitz and glam with COACH.
Inspired by today’s generation and designed by creative director Stuart Vevers’ the vision of the Shine Collection encourages to be real and ‘Wear Your Shine’.
The Shine Collection pop-up experience featured playfully expressive silhouettes and colors, with the Tabby bag and new Penn silhouette in metallic and patent leather. This spectacular evening was co-created with value added services and hosted at SAZ – American Brasserie, Jio World Drive Mumbai. Earlier in the week Coach unveiled SHINE, an immersive pop-up installation to invite audiences to explore a multi-sensory world of light, space, and sound at Mumbai’s Jio World Drive Mall. The one-of-a-kind structure features a reflective surface of high-shine gold panels encased in bronze scaffolding, inspired by the campaign’s message of transforming your inner glow into outer shine. The SHINE installation and “Wear Your Shine” campaign mark the next chapter of Coach’s storytelling grounded in the Courage to Be Real, its mission focused on inspiring audiences to express themselves authentically.
Mumbai: Meghna Mittal is GSharp Media’s co-founder and chief marketing officer; the company has two brands under its umbrella: Songfest India and Hoopr. Songfest focuses on giving musicians the creative freedom to explore new sonic avenues; Hoopr is India’s first music licensing marketplace that intends to offer cutting-edge solutions to both musicians and content creators alike.
Ever since its inception, GSharp Media has been focused on building creator-centric products. Mittal has led these initiatives and focuses extensively on crafting innovative marketing strategies while also playing a key role in scaling up products. Her strengths lie in staying close to the consumer, understanding the market requirements, and creating the right product that solves the customer’s pain point. She was pivotal in steering several viral marketing campaigns for Songfest, which accumulated more than 100 million views for its YouTube channel.
Her latest venture is Hoopr.ai, a music licensing marketplace that offers cutting-edge viral solutions to brands and video creators in collaboration with some of the most popular artists. The idea behind it is to offer a multitude of songs, background scores, and sound effects to creators regardless of the kind of content they create and showcase some innovative music from India’s best musicians and composers. Mittal and her team aim to help the creator economy reach new heights in India and around the globe with the platform.
Prior to joining GSharp Media, Mittal led the marketing initiatives for Hubilo and YesssWorks for more than seven years. A music lover herself and a people person, her interests include designing and building consumer-centric products, creating exciting content, and crafting unique music solutions for brands. She also has a huge, self-cultivated network of influencers across the country and believes that every creator deserves to have the best tools at their disposal for creating invigorating content.
On the personal front, she is extremely passionate about cooking and loves feeding her guests different delicacies. Indiantelevision.com caught up with Mittal to find out the growth strategy of the company.
Excerpts:
On Hoopr.ai
Most founders create products that solve a certain pain point they themselves have experienced and for which there is a large market but no clear solution. A few months into the pandemic, Gaurav Dagaonkar (GSharp Media founder) and I were running the content production studio Songfest and realised that costs and means of video production had come down heavily due to the lockdown. Most clients of Songfest and Songfest itself heavily use stock video & music to complete productions and save costs. It was at this stage that we realised how limited the availability of Indian stock music was.
It was this particular project for which we needed a Hindi hip-hop, street rap kind of track, and we couldn’t find even one across all platforms in the world. The international music licensing platforms didn’t carry Indian music, and we didn’t have any of our own. I mean, we’re talking about a country with a combined value of $15 billion if you put together the film, television, advertising, and music industries, and strangely, not one music licensing marketplace existed before Hoopr. We ultimately had to get the track created, which cost us a lot more time and money than the budget permitted.
So we started thinking about the millions of Indian vloggers, podcasters, live streamers, and digital content creators, including startups, who create daily video content for their Indian audiences and would be requiring relevant Indian music. On the one hand, using music without a licence results in a copyright or content ID claim, which takes away a creator’s monetisation rights for that video, while on the other, there is hardly any Indian music available to licence. That got us to start thinking seriously about building Hoopr.
But the final catalyst in this decision turned out to be a unique one. Anushka Sen is an Indian influencer with over 35 million followers on Instagram and two million on YouTube. She received a copyright claim for using a song belonging to Songfest and asked for a micro licence that could be purchased. I remember this one day when we came across a report that projected India having more than 100 million content creators by 2025, and Sen also wanted to buy a micro licence from us. We started building Hoopr from that day on.
On Hoopr.ai’ revenue model
We offer subscriptions to individual creators and businesses. Apart from that, we also offer custom plans for enterprises.
On the growth
We’re proud of the fact that we have received traction from customers all over India. It’s a testament to the power of the creator economy that we’ve seen traction from not only individual creators but also interest from brands and businesses across India.
On the challenges for monetisation of content including music
Let’s look at the content—music and video—separately. YouTube is currently the most important source of content monetization, at least for Indian creators.However, in order for this monetization to begin on YouTube, one must have more than 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time. Post that too, it requires millions of views to make a reasonable amount of income. Typically, if YouTube pays 2-3 paisa per view in India, a typical YouTuber ends up earning somewhere close to 15 to 30 thousand for a million views.
But the million views are hard to get, so the challenge for the Indian content creator is to be regular, attract a large audience, and create content in a sustained manner. Also, a small fraction of video creators end up making substantial money from platforms such as YouTube. A lot of the other short-form platforms do not allow monetization similar to YouTube, although it is likely that this may change in the future. Aside from this, content creators face a number of other challenges that limit their ability to monetize. Sometimes there could be licensing issues, creators may end up using music tracks that might get muted, or there could be a copyright claim or a takedown.
For musicians, it can be relatively easier as one can create music tracks and distribute them to multiple streaming platforms, and typically there is a pay-out associated with each stream. However, the challenge in this case is to get discovered, heard, and seen when the competition is cutthroat and there are thousands of tracks uploaded every single day.
On how covid impacted this area
The covid pandemic fuelled the digital revolution and accelerated the growth of content creators, social media community engagers, and even curators. During this time, both Dagaonkar and I realised that our agency and brand clients were actively looking to licence Indian music but were not able to find relevant content. We experienced this difficulty while creating promos and marketing videos for Songfest. But the turning point came when one of India’s leading content creators, Anushka Sen, got a content ID claim on YouTube and called me to buy a licence. A subsequent deep dive into the numbers of the creator economy revealed that millions of creators in India require music for their content and are willing to buy licences to avoid copyright claims.
Having launched the platform now, the industry envisages Hoopr as a potential go-to platform to find the right music for video content.
On the products like Songfest that GSharp Media operates
GSharp Media is a music tech and content company, and the idea has been to create and operate brands and products in the music domain that are interconnected and have synergies with one another. With Songfest and Hoopr, we have these synergies. Songfest is a brand that creates customised brand solutions. We create branded content, such as music videos, television commercials, and so on. Songfest also operates a YouTube channel with over half a million subscribers. The biggest asset of the company is the network of 3000+ music creators that we have.
On the latest campaign
We have launched a new campaign called “#HarGharCreator” with an ad to celebrate and empower creators across India. Hoopr.ai is solving a billion-dollar problem faced by content creators and businesses every day: that of discovering and licensing the right music for their videos. India’s 80 million+ creator community comprises vloggers, podcasters, gamers, filmmakers, live-streamers, and influencers who create audio-visual content on a variety of topics. With over 25,000 tracks and sound effects, Hoopr.ai is not only enabling these creators to get specific music for their needs but also helping them avoid copyright strikes and legal issues.
Furthermore, what’s also changing is the mindset with regard to content creation, with more people embracing it as a career choice. And that is exactly what the ad captures. In the ad, a young college student can be seen telling his strict father that he doesn’t want to be an engineer but rather a content creator. The reaction of the father makes the ad a must-watch for all content creators and their families.
A creator is now emerging in nearly every home across India, and we want to help them find phenomenal Indian music for their videos. Apart from individual creators, the music on Hoopr is also being used by brands, enterprises, and OTT platforms, as it is cleared for use and free from any copyright strikes or takedowns.
On trends being seen when it comes to music tech
There are a lot of developments happening in music technology. Right from production to distribution and consumption, to areas like licensing, building communities, and fan funding of collectibles, music tech has seen a lot of developments and interesting start-ups over the last couple of years. When it comes to music production, we are seeing tools that allow people to collaborate. There are multiple music distribution services that have evolved over the last four to five years that allow artists to distribute music across different streaming platforms. We are also in an era where the majority of music is consumed through streaming platforms. As a result, apps such as Spotify are continuously evolving their algorithms and recommendation engines to contribute to a better user experience. We have also seen the emergence of licensing platforms that have opened up new doors of income for musicians.
Two areas that are still in their nascent stage but will only continue to grow are AI-generated music and the ability of artists to create and distribute NFTs. These could unlock new doors as far as the music industry is concerned and could bring with them new opportunities for artists, new sources of funding, etc., all on the back of technological development.
On the future of the podcast format in India
Any kind of individualised content creation is here to stay, whether the creator makes a living out of it or does it out of passion and knowledge sharing. Any kind of content creation is going to grow from here, mainly because there are so many new tools that are coming up that help creators create content. In the case of podcasts, it’s a bit easier, as one can create podcasts in the comfort of their homes. They are able to record using microphones, which have become cheaper using workstations. Distributing podcasts has become easier too. The biggest driver is the fact that people want to share their knowledge, experience, and learnings, in addition to the huge appetite of the digital audience to consume this content.
India still has the potential to grow multifold in the domain of podcasts and some related fields too. Companies like Pocket FM do well in India, along with regional companies like Kuku FM, which are also producing a large number of audio books. Very soon, it will translate into individuals creating systematic podcasts. The future of podcasts in India is promising, and one of the biggest drivers will be regional content or regional podcasts, as 70 per cent of India’s population consumes regional content
Delhi: Zee Café is all set to launch its new entertainment show Not Just A Chat Show. The show will be broadcast starting 24 July on the channel.
As the name suggests, it is not just a chat show! The format is based on American miniseries Behind The Scenes (BTS) making it different, unique and more immersive than the regular television chat shows. Presented by Cetaphil, the show will see a fascinating bunch of guests who will be interviewed by the dynamic Anushka Sen in a non-formal setup. So, secrets are bound to be vented out and some interesting gossip is sure to come your way.
The limited episodes chat show will feature a guest every episode including actresses Krystle D’Souza, Riddhima Pandit, Chef Shipra Khanna, and Aesthetic Physician Dr Monica Jacob who will be seen having a discussion with the host about their work, food habits, skincare, personal life and much more.
The format of the show will allow the audience to see their favourite celebrities get candid and share insights into their life while providing some blazing skin care tips to the viewers. The show promises fun games and interactive sessions to bring entertainment and drama to the viewers.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises chief growth officer – ad sales Ashish Sehgal shared, “Over the years Zee Café has garnered popularity amongst the viewers, making it prevalent in the eyes of the investors and the sponsors. Our new show, Not Just a Chat Show is presented in collaboration with Cetaphil, and we are elated as it opens a completely new avenue of growth for us. We are extremely enthusiastic about the launch and are sure it will garner the viewership we are hoping for.”
Zee Entertainment Enterprises chief cluster officer – North, West and premium Amit Shah said, “At Zee Café, we have consistently kept the consumers’ evolving preferences at the centre, wherein we introduced Indian original programming to present more relatable and entertaining content to the viewers. With the success of the first two original formats Dance With Me and Chef Vs Fridge and the support we garnered from the viewers, we are inspired to bring more to each one of you. We stay committed to presenting engaging content to our viewers and delivering higher value to our partners through unique propositions. With ‘Not Just A Chat Show’, we aim to give the viewers a peek into the lives of their loved celebrities in the most candid way. We are delighted to collaborate with Cetaphil for this property, and we remain confident that the unique format of the show will make it different and more engaging from all the other chat shows. We are extremely excited for the launch and are sure the audience will enjoy watching the show as much as we loved creating it.”
Galderma India Pvt. Ltd managing director South Asia G. Sathya Narayanan said, “Zee Café in the recent past has engaged Indian viewers with their original programming. The shows have garnered audience’s love, escalating the popularity of the channel. We are glad to collaborate with a brand for this upcoming show that not only provides insights into the lives of the celebs but also brings forward the topic of Sensitive skincare. With growing pollution and changing weather conditions, it becomes extremely important to get an idea of proper skincare and busting myths related to it. This show will help the audience learn from their favourite celebs and the experts. We are sure the show will garner engagement and love from the audience.”
New Delhi: Snap has announced the launch of its first local and original Indian Creator shows produced by Qyuki and featuring television actress Anushka Sen and comedian Vir Das.
Powered by relatable characters made for Snapchat’s mobile first audience, the shows will air exclusively on Snapchat Discover. They were first announced in October 2020 alongside a slate of other exclusive and Snap Original content.
In What’s On My Plate, Sen will be seen making some of her favourite dishes in the kitchen, whilst taking on a series of cooking challenges set by her ‘Food Wheel’ Snapchat Lens. The weekly series premieres 19 June with new episodes coming out every Saturday and will feature special appearances from Sen’s family and friends who sample and rate her food creations.
In Vir Das – The Most Epic Max Show, Das will take on seemingly impossible and new challenges, pushing his boundaries and trying different things. Each challenge is either ‘Epic’ or a complete ‘Fail’, but either way, he makes it a fun learning experience. The weekly series premieres 24 June with episodes coming out every Thursday and each episode will give viewers a glimpse of the real Das and a sneak peek into his life and friends.
Like all Shows on Snapchat, episodes average three to five minutes in length, are full-screen vertical and paced for mobile. Each series is available to more than 70 million viewers in India who have watched Snapchat Shows in the last year. As of March 2021, Snap’s daily active user base in India grew by over 100 per cent every quarter for the last five quarters, it said on Thursday.
“Shows on Snapchat are designed to both inform and entertain: created to reflect and celebrate the diverse voices, experiences and passions of the global community of Snapchatters. Snap’s unique original programming is locally nuanced for the Indian viewers. We’re thrilled to launch these two new Creator shows – each one a window into the lives of some of India’s most popular creators,” said head of Snap Originals, Vanessa Guthrie.
