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Tag: Babita Baruah

  • Hero Motocorp and VML launch ‘Naye Indian ki deluxe bike’ campaign

    Hero Motocorp and VML launch ‘Naye Indian ki deluxe bike’ campaign

    MUMBAI:  Hero Motocorp, the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, has unveiled a new campaign for its ‘HF deluxe pro’ motorcycle in partnership with VML, the global brand and digital transformation agency. Titled ‘Naye Indian ki deluxe bike’, the campaign pays tribute to the resilience, optimism, and quiet heroism of everyday Indians who move the nation forward.

    The all-new ‘HF deluxe pro’ brings bolder styling, smarter features like an LED headlamp, and enhanced fuel efficiency to India’s leading 100cc motorcycle. The campaign takes a significant creative leap from conventional category advertising, anchoring the bike’s reliability in a heartfelt narrative of courage and compassion.

    At the centre of the film is the story of a rider who embarks on a daring mission through dense forests to reunite a lost baby elephant with its mother. The ‘HF deluxe pro’ becomes his trusted ally: strong, dependable, and built to endure every challenge. Through this powerful metaphor, the campaign celebrates the new-age Indian who doesn’t just aspire for change but actively builds it.

    “At Hero Motocorp, our journey has always been intertwined with the spirit of real India: the quiet force that propels our nation forward,” said Hero Motocorp, head of marketing, Aashish Midha. “With the HF deluxe pro, we proudly present a motorcycle that mirrors the very essence of every Indian rider: resilience, innovation, and unwavering trust. VML has masterfully translated this vision into a campaign that is both deeply emotional and powerfully purposeful.”

    VML India, ceo, Babita Baruah added, “Great brands don’t just sell products; they inspire culture and spark emotion. With Hero MotoCorp, we found the perfect synergy to tell a story that celebrates the resilience and quiet heroism of everyday Indians. This campaign reflects our belief in purposeful creativity, where every frame leaves a lasting impact.”

    VML, group chief creative officer, Kalpesh Patankar said, “The most successful work is always rooted in truth. This film was created to resonate with millions of Indians in the country’s heartlands, using emotion as the strongest connector between brand and people.”

    With refreshed graphics, chrome accents, a segment-first LED headlamp, and a horizon digital console, the ‘HF deluxe pro’ is built for both style and everyday practicality. Its 97.2cc engine with i3s technology delivers smooth performance and superior mileage, making it a reliable partner for millions of families.

    The campaign is now live across television, digital, print, and outdoor platforms.

  • Breathe easy burnout is not your creative destiny

    Breathe easy burnout is not your creative destiny

    MUMBAI: Tired is not a personality trait. And if your big ideas feel more foggy than fiery, wellness expert Luke Coutinho might know why. At the Goa Fest 2025 fireside chat with VML India’s Babita Baruah, he unpacked the anatomy of burnout and why hustle culture is creativity’s worst enemy. “Are you exhausted or just on autopilot?” That was Luke Coutinho’s call to action to a room full of creative professionals who raised their hands at the mere mention of burnout. But Coutinho, integrative medicine expert and long-time advisor to India’s armed forces wasn’t here to peddle another green juice. He was here to challenge the cult of grind and offer a surprisingly simple antidote: adapt.

    Burnout, he explained, isn’t just about being busy. It’s chronic stress that numbs joy, dulls creativity, and disconnects people from the very things that once brought them meaning. “It’s when your favourite song doesn’t hit the same, your child’s smile doesn’t light you up, and your morning coffee is just a prop to survive,” he said.

    Contrary to social media’s rigid checklists, Coutinho advised attendees to stop chasing generic wellness trends and instead tailor health practices to their own lives. “Trying to live like a reel will burn you out faster than your deadlines,” he quipped. The solution? A mindful mix of food, sleep, movement, and emotion.

    Four lifestyle levers for creative spark:

    ●    Nutrition: Ditch junk and stimulants. They tank energy and ideas.

    ●    Sleep: It’s not about waking up early, it’s about completing your sleep cycle.

    ●    Emotional wellness: Channel pain into power, not procrastination.

    ●    Movement: Walk, stretch, breathe—endorphins boost the prefrontal cortex, your creative HQ.

    Coutinho dismantled hustle culture as “glorified exhaustion”. Instead, he urged for a shift from performative busyness to “purposeful urgency”. As proof, he shared a story about the architect of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa who, before his big pitch, didn’t power through but went for a swim to reconnect with himself. “Stillness before action. That’s how true creativity emerges,” said Coutinho.

    He also offered a practical fix: six minutes a day. That’s all you need, he said, to begin rewiring your burnout brain:

    1.    Mind Sweep (Morning) – List 3 things you’re grateful for. Set a daily intention.

    2.    Breath Stacking (Midday) – Take 8–10 deep, slow breaths. Reset.

    3.    Digital Sunset (Evening) – Switch off all screens and reflect on a small win.

    These micro-rituals anchor you in the present, a place creatives rarely linger.

    He concluded with a reality check shaped by his work with terminal patients: “Not one of them talks about their titles or salary. They remember love, laughter, and memories.” The lesson? Life isn’t a sprint, and your legacy won’t be built in unread emails.

    So the next time your creativity stalls, don’t scroll or sprint pause, breathe, and ask: what really makes me feel alive?

  • Sunil Gupta lectures AI’s transformative role at IAA Conversations

    Sunil Gupta lectures AI’s transformative role at IAA Conversations

    MUMBAI: Artificial intelligence isn’t just a buzzword anymore—it’s shaping the way industries think, act, and innovate. At the recent IAA Conversations in Mumbai, Harvard Business School Edward W. Carter professor of business administration, Sunil Gupta delved into AI’s transformative power in marketing, branding, and beyond. The event, titled ‘Marketing in the Age of AI’, was moderated by VML India CEO and an IAA Mancom member, Babita Baruah and organised in association with Harvard Business School.

    The session kicked off with Gupta highlighting the disruptive nature of AI and how businesses across sectors are adapting to leverage it. “Almost every business, not just advertising, is thinking about AI and how it will affect their operations,” he noted.

    He outlined three ways AI is transforming industries:

    1    Augmenting and automating tasks to increase efficiency.

    2    Expanding and growing capabilities with innovative tools.

    3    Disrupting and experimenting, encouraging businesses to push creative boundaries.

    Gupta cited tech giants like Facebook and Google, explaining their use of AI to automate ad creation, audience targeting, and budget allocation.

    Gupta emphasised the unprecedented access to consumer data in today’s digital age. “It’s not just about what they buy or search for. It’s also about what they do on social media or why they contact a call centre,” he observed.

    AI, he argued, offers the ability to synthesise qualitative and quantitative data to create a 360-degree view of consumers. It enables brands to map customer journeys, uncover pain points, and even predict behaviours. “AI can act as a smart research assistant, helping brands connect the dots across vast datasets,” he added.

    Gupta also introduced the concept of synthetic consumers, personas created using past data to simulate market research scenarios. This approach offers quick insights at early product development stages.

    Gupta didn’t shy away from discussing the hurdles of AI adoption. “The use of AI will increase competition as it lowers entry barriers, making it easier for anyone to experiment and innovate,” he said.

    However, he flagged the risk of short-term thinking in advertising. “With AI’s ability to experiment and fine-tune ROI, there’s a danger that brands might focus too much on immediate results and lose sight of long-term brand building. And advertising is all about building brands,” he cautioned.

    Addressing how organisations should approach AI, Gupta urged companies to embrace the technology actively. “You can’t learn to swim by watching someone else. You need to dive into the pool yourself,” he remarked.

    He recommended dedicating time to understanding AI’s potential and limitations, noting that no technology has ever reduced workload—it has only shifted it. “Jobs don’t go away, tasks do. AI will eliminate non-value-added tasks, allowing professionals to focus on more impactful work,” he asserted.

    On a closing note, Gupta reminded attendees of the importance of starting with the problem, not the technology. “Sometimes, we get so caught up in the technology that we forget the problem we’re trying to solve,” he said, adding that copyright and IP protection will remain critical concerns in an AI-driven world.

    IAA India Chapter president, Abhishek Karnani underscored the event’s relevance, “At the India Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA), we take pride in being the only body in the industry that brings together creative agencies, media agencies, and media under one roof. This year, our focus is clear—Conversations, Skilling, and Artificial Intelligence—all aimed at preparing us for the opportunities and challenges ahead.”

    Organised with support from Free Press Journal as the presenting partner, the IAA Conversations event highlighted the intersection of technology, creativity, and strategy, offering a forward-looking perspective on how AI is reshaping industries.

  • Britannia, Google Cloud & WPP agencies partner to launch BourbonIT

    Britannia, Google Cloud & WPP agencies partner to launch BourbonIT

    Mumbai: Britannia Industries, in collaboration with Google Cloud and  WPP’s media services company Mindshare and global creative company VML, has announced the launch of Britannia BourbonIT, a pioneering platform utilising generative AI (GenAI) technology to transform recipe creation and culinary experiences in India. This unique initiative,  spearheaded by Britannia’s iconic Bourbon, marks a significant milestone in the Indian market, underscoring the power of advanced AI to redefine consumer experiences.

    Britannia BourbonIT combines technology and creativity to enhance consumer engagement. Using Google Gemini’s multimodal capabilities, the platform adds a creative twist to traditional recipes, generating visually appealing culinary creations. It offers a smooth user experience with APIs developed using Google Cloud Functions to handle various input formats efficiently. A profanity filter is integrated to ensure content quality and brand safety.

    Users can submit recipes in formats such as YouTube videos, HTML links, images, or text. BourbonIT, with Google’s Gemini Flash, adds a Bourbon twist to each recipe, creating an engaging experience for consumers.

    Britannia CMO Amit Doshi said, “The launch of BourbonIT marks a key moment in Britannia Bourbon’s journey, demonstrating our dedication to delivering innovative and superior taste experiences. This initiative reflects Britannia’s commitment to evolving with the times while maintaining the flavors that have made Bourbon a household name. This collaboration with Google Cloud and WPP’s Mindshare and VML highlights Britannia’s leadership in adopting cutting-edge technology, setting a new benchmark for AI-driven experiences in India.  The teams have worked collaboratively to bring this initiative to life, and their efforts are set to elevate consumer engagement to new heights. The launch of BourbonIT is just the beginning,  paving the way for future innovations that will continue to redefine consumer interactions in the  culinary space.”

    Google Cloud India VP and country MD Bikram Singh Bedi said, “Our work with  Britannia and WPP is a testament to how generative AI can drive consumer engagement. The  innovative campaign BourbonIT leverages Google’s state-of-the-art generative AI capabilities to  deliver unique experiences.”  

    Mindshare CEO for South Asia, Amin Lakhani said, “We are incredibly excited to launch ‘BourbonIT’. A significant step forward in how AI can enhance our everyday lives, and in this case, our culinary experiences. This innovative application developed by WPP’s Mindshare  and VML and powered by Google Gemini, seamlessly blends cutting-edge technology with user-friendly design, making it simple for anyone to unlock their inner chef and explore a world of  flavourful possibilities.”

    VML’s CEO in India – Babita Baruah said, “We are excited to collaborate with  Britannia Bourbon on this innovative project for the iconic brand. By ‘bourbonizing’ users’ own recipes, we aim to bring Britannia Bourbon into every household in a fun and meaningful way to  deliver lasting impact, using technology to drive value with a creative twist.”

    Britannia Bourbon, long valued for its classic appeal, has evolved to meet changing consumer tastes. The collaboration with Winkin’ Cow to create Britannia Winkin’ Cow Bourbon Shake highlights this evolution. This new product combines the legacy of the original Britannia Bourbon biscuit with a fresh approach, offering consumers a novel way to enjoy their favorite biscuit.

    Steps to Bourbon IT the recipe:

    ● Scan the code on the Britannia Bourbon pack

    ● Share the link of your favorite recipe or simply type your favourite dish and give it a  Bourbon twist

    ● Submit your Bourbon creation and stand a chance to win a trip to Switzerland and Amazon cashback*

    BourbonIt can be accessed via mobile devices here: https://bourbonit.in/ *T&C applied

  • Elevating humanity & connection are key brand opportunities for 2024

    Elevating humanity & connection are key brand opportunities for 2024

    Mumbai: In a post Covid world that is being shaped by a bewildering amount of technology, people are craving authentic human connection more than ever before. The insight, from VML’s highly anticipated ‘The Future 100: 2024’ lays out 100 trends set to shape consumer spending over the next year.

    For the very first time, the report mentions “Brand India”, as the country emerges as a new global powerhouse. India has cemented its position as an emerging global superpower by hosting the G20 summit in September 2023 and has underlined its credentials as a major player in the new space race with missions to the moon and sun.

    Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang said, at a conference to announce a partnership with Reliance Industries and Tata Group, two of India’s largest conglomerates, the country will be “one of the largest AI markets in the world”. Bain & Co. predicts India’s domestic luxury market will “expand to 3.5 times today’s size by 2030,” as brands like Gucci, Cartier, and Louis Vuitton ramp up their Indian presence and get Indian actors as global brand ambassadors. The report says that this is “India’s moment”, and global brands, manufacturers, and consumers simply cannot ignore India as the domestic market and tech capabilities are growing at a turbo pace.

    VML India CEO  Babita Baruah said, “While economic growth is an important marker of progress, the combination of talent, technology, and grassroot innovation is what is creating something much larger for India; a positive Zeitgeist that is making this more than a ‘Moment’ and converting this into a tectonic ‘Movement’.

    One that sees brands and businesses looking to reinvent the experiences and solutions that they deliver to an increasingly discerning, demanding but also rewarding generation of consumers. At its core is integration – blending intelligent content, personalised experiences, data, technology, commerce, and India’s famous emotive storytelling – to create richer and more rewarding experiences for consumers, brands, and businesses.”

    The insight, from VML’s ‘The Future 100: 2024’ lays out 100 trends set to shape consumer spending over the next year. The report finds that consumers are in their slow living era, known as ‘The Great Deceleration’, slowing down their lifestyles and opting for a mindful approach to the year ahead. As humanity undergoes a paradigm shift with identity at the heart, advances in technology are ushering in a new reality and prompting people to question what it means to be human.

    Globally, in this new paradigm of human connection, the most successful and fastest growing brands are connected brands, as people seek emotional engagement with the brands they buy from. Data collected exclusively for ‘The Future 100: 2024’ reveals 79 per cent of people believe ‘the role of a brand has changed over the past five years’, with the top three roles of brands to ‘make the world a better place’ (40 per cent); ‘improve people’s health and wellbeing’ (38 per cent); and ‘create a more positive and helpful future’ (32 per cent).

    VML co-authors and global intelligence directors Emma Chiu and Marie Stafford said: “As 2024 unfolds, an intentional slowdown shifts the pace for people and businesses after years of rapid acceleration. Community and connection at scale are essential to 2024, with 67 per cent of people agreeing that community is more important than one individual and 76 per cent believe that technology helps bring people together. With most consumers looking for surprise, mystery, awe, and wonder in their lives, new experiences that engage a wide spectrum of emotions are in demand. A profound and enriching year awaits!”

    This year marks the 10 year of the Future 100. To celebrate this milestone and bring the report to life, VML is set to launch F.L.I.C (Future. Learning. Interactive. Connected.), a fully interactive AI avatar that can answer real-time questions about the report. Using Epic Metahuman, VML created a photo-realistic face for F.L.I.C and chose longstanding technology partner Odyssey to stream this Unreal Engine 5 based-app to users. The proprietary technology, which is exclusive to Odyssey, creates virtual personifications to give a face to AI, and allows clients to access and interact with F.L.I.C directly through their web-browser. F.L.I.C will be live on 6 February 2024 to coincide with live Future 100: 2024 launch events in London and New York.

    VML global chief marketing officer Naomi Troni commented: “The Future 100 is one of our most anticipated reports, and this year is no exception. With humans craving ‘passion and togetherness’ – particularly as we see AI becoming more and more mainstream – the time is right for brands to tap into this shift and use technology to connect with humans on a deeper level as they opt for a more mindful approach for the year ahead.”  

    The Future 100 covers 10 sectors including Culture, Technology, Travel & Hospitality, Brands & Marketing, Food & Drink, Beauty, Retail, Luxury, Health, and Innovation. Also included for the 10 anniversary is original consumer data from surveys in nine different countries, and interviews with experts across various fields to give their takes on the past decade and what to look out for in 2024.

    Download the report: https://www.vml.com/insight/the-future-100-2024

  • VML appoints Babita Baruah as CEO of India

    VML appoints Babita Baruah as CEO of India

    Mumbai: VML has announced Babita Baruah will join as chief executive officer of India from March 1, 2024, and will partner with Saurabh Saksena, who has been elevated into the role of president.

    Baruah’s journey began at JWT/Wunderman Thompson India, where she spent two decades leading global and local brands such as PepsiCo, Unilever, Nestlé, Kellogg’s, Godrej, Kotak Mahindra, Reliance, and Aditya Birla.

    In 2017, she joined the GTB business in India as managing partner and moved to Bangkok in 2021 in a dual capacity role as WPP Lead for the Ford business across India, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, the Middle East, and South Africa, and executive director, VMLY&R Thailand.

  • Red Abby to adjudge the best communication programmes that fight violence against women

    Red Abby to adjudge the best communication programmes that fight violence against women

    MUMBAI: The Advertising Club and the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) will launch ‘The Red Abby’ award as a part of Goafest 2020.  ‘The Red Abby’ awards have been instituted to acknowledge the best creative works that address the issue of violence against women in society.

    The jury for the Red Abby Awards includes some of the foremost leaders from across the FMCG, advertising, media, creative and entertainment industry.

    The jury list for ‘The Red Abby’ 2020

    1.    Anupriya Acharya- CEO, Publicis Groupe, South Asia

    2.    Babita Baruah, Managing Partner, GTB India

    3.    Deepika Warrier, CEO, Nourishco Beverages (a joint venture between Pepsico and Tata Global Beverages)

    4.    Lara Balsara Wajifdar, Executive Director at Madison World

    5.    Megha Tata, MD- South Asia, Discovery Communications India

    6.    Mini Mathur, Acclaimed Actor and Television Host

    7.    Raj Nayak, Founder, House of Cheer

    8.    Tarun Katial, CEO, Zee5, India

    The jury is entrusted with the key responsibility of together screening entries received in ‘The Red Abby’ category, thereby arriving at the shortlist. The jury meet is scheduled for 17 March in Mumbai where the jurors will test creativity and impact of the communication campaigns.

    The Advertising Club President Partho Dasgupta said: “Women’s safety is a cause that needs a loud and clear voice. The esteemed jury of ‘The Red Abby’ comes from a diverse background with rich experience in their respective industries. Their collective experience will make the evaluation process robust and fair, while adjudging the works’ impact.”  

    Sonia Huria (in the picture), Managing Committee Member of The Advertising Club and Evangelist, ‘The Red Abby’, said: “At the heart of a successful campaign is the impact it made. In case of ‘The Red Abby’ the impact will be basis the effectiveness of the behaviour change messaging of the campaign. With such an esteemed jury for its maiden edition, we are sure that the best-in-class works will find their right place in the Abby Awards Hall of Fame.”