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Tag: Vaseline

  • Boss move! Bigg Boss 19 smashes OTT records with blockbuster JioHotstar debut

    Boss move! Bigg Boss 19 smashes OTT records with blockbuster JioHotstar debut

    MUMBAI: The house isn’t just full, it’s overflowing. Bigg Boss Season 19 stormed onto JioHotstar with India’s biggest-ever OTT launch, pulling in record-breaking Day 1 numbers that set the stage for a fiery season ahead. The opening episode clocked a 2.3x surge in reach and a 2.4x jump in watch-time compared to last year, while peak concurrency doubled over Bigg Boss 18’s launch. For a franchise that has ruled non-fiction TV for 18 years, this digital-first outing has levelled up the game.

    It wasn’t just the audience piling in brands rushed in too. With 11 marquee sponsors across FMCG, auto, lifestyle, and personal care ranging from Vaseline, Appy Fizz, Flipkart and Lakme Peach Milk to Citroën, Manforce and Lux Cozi, the season has lured a mix as diverse as the housemates themselves. For advertisers, Bigg Boss continues to be more than a show; it’s a cultural juggernaut with unmatched reach and recall.

    Keeping fans hooked round the clock, JioHotstar has added interactive features like live chats, polls, and a 24×7 live feed, ensuring audiences don’t just watch but actively play along. And of course, fronting it all is Salman Khan bringing charisma, banter, and that signature mix of star power and swagger that keeps audiences coming back.

    As Alok Jain of JioStar put it, “The overwhelming response reflects not just the property’s scale but the deep bond audiences share with Bigg Boss.” With the launch already rewriting records, Season 19 is shaping up to be more than entertainment, it’s a 24×7 obsession.

  • Bigg Boss 19 gets a full house of sponsors before drama even begins

    Bigg Boss 19 gets a full house of sponsors before drama even begins

    MUMBAI: Before a single fight erupts or a tear is shed, Bigg Boss 19 has already pulled off its first big win, a full house of nine heavyweight sponsors, proving its unmatched pull in India’s reality TV arena. Premiering Sunday, 24 August 2025, across JioHotstar (9 pm) and Colors (10.30 pm), the Salman Khan-hosted show enters its 19th season with the theme “Gharwalon Ki Sarkaar”, where for the first time in the franchise’s history housemates hold the power to make decisions. The Parliament-inspired house promises a cocktail of people politics, power plays and unpredictable twists, all with unfiltered consequences.

    On the advertiser side, the line-up is as eclectic as the show’s contestants: Vaseline, Appy Fizz, Danube Properties, Flipkart, Citroën, Silver Coin Atta, Manforce, Lakmé Peach Milk, and Haier. From FMCG giants to auto brands, the mix underscores the show’s rare ability to capture consumer attention across categories.

    “Bigg Boss remains the top choice for brands seeking unparalleled reach,” said JioStar head of revenue for entertainment Mahesh Shetty adding that its seamless integrations deliver “unmatched value for both audiences and advertisers.”

    Returning sponsor Vaseline is back as co-presenting partner, with HUL’s Pratik Ved calling the association “a platform to showcase its upgraded product portfolio while staying India’s official skincare partner.” Meanwhile, Appy Fizz’s Nadia Chauhan dubbed the show “culturally relevant rocket fuel” for brand engagement, while Danube Group’s Rizwan Sajan highlighted last season’s “record-breaking global viewership” as reason to double down.

    Auto major Citroën, rolling out its India 2.0 strategy, sees the show’s raw energy as the perfect match for its refreshed product line-up, with Citroën MD Shailesh Hazela saying it allows the brand to “embed itself into the rhythm of Indian lives.”

    With 18 years of dominance, a 24×7 live feed, and its enduring power to spark conversation across 240 plus countries via JioHotstar, Bigg Boss 19 isn’t just a show, it’s India’s biggest pop culture juggernaut. And this year, the nation’s “gharwalas” get the gavel.

  • Rising star soars to Dove at Unilever

    Rising star soars to Dove at Unilever

    MUMBAI: Prerna Gursahani has slathered herself in corporate success, landing the coveted role of global brand manager for Dove at consumer goods behemoth Hindustan Unilever.

    After three years of keeping skin supple as global assistant brand manager for Vaseline, Gursahani has been promoted to oversee the company’s flagship beauty brand, which has made its name championing real beauty and body positivity.

    The polished executive is no stranger to Unilever’s corridors of power. Her relationship with the Anglo-Dutch giant began in 2013 when she cut her teeth as a brand assistant in the company’s laundry category, focusing on water and “disruptive innovation”—presumably more than just adding an extra rinse cycle.

    Following a brief dalliance with the brewing industry at White Owl Brewery and a stint as account manager at advertising agency J. Walter Thompson Worldwide, Gursahani returned to Hindustan Unilever in 2019 as assistant manager sustainability, before smoothly transitioning to the Vaseline team in 2022.

    In addition to her corporate exploits, the ambitious brand whiz serves as an ambassador for One Young World, having initially joined as a delegate in 2020. The global forum for young leaders evidently spotted her potential early on.

    Commenting on her LinkedIn page, Gursahani gushed that she was “thrilled” about her new appointment, adding that she was “excited to be part of a brand that champions real beauty and strives to create a world where everyone feels seen, valued, and confident”—a sentiment that will surely wash well with Dove’s marketing ethos.

  • Bigg Boss Season 18 shatters records with 205+ million viewers across TV & digital

    Bigg Boss Season 18 shatters records with 205+ million viewers across TV & digital

    MUMBAI: Another season of drama, strategy, and nail-biting eliminations has come to a close, and Bigg Boss Season 18 has done it again—breaking records, dominating screens, and keeping millions glued to their couches. The reality TV juggernaut raked in a mind-blowing 205+ million viewersh  across TV and JioCinema, with a total of 112 billion viewing minutes (yes, you read that right!). And if that wasn’t enough, social media went into overdrive, racking up 5.6 billion views across platforms, with 2.9 billion views on JioCinema alone. Now, that’s what you call a blockbuster

    JioStar head of revenue – entertainment & international, Ajit Varghese summed it up perfectly, “Year after year, Bigg Boss continues to redefine entertainment, offering brands the ultimate platform to forge deep audience connections. The response to this season has been phenomenal, and we’re excited to push the boundaries even further.”

    Bigg Boss, the crown jewel of JioStar’s entertainment empire, continues to strike gold with its regional editions in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, and Bengali. With each passing season, the show mirrors society’s evolving dynamics, proving that nothing beats the thrill of watching strangers fight, form alliances, and occasionally (just occasionally) find friendship.

    This year, Bigg Boss Jaante Hain took unpredictability to the next level, with the all-seeing Bigg Boss predicting contestants’ futures. The “Time Ka Tandav” theme was a masterstroke, amplifying the mind games, shock twists, and pulse-racing moments that had fans hooked. Who knew reality TV could be this deliciously dramatic?

    When you pull in numbers like these, it’s no surprise that brands are lining up to be part of the magic. Season 18 had the backing of some of the biggest names, including co-powered partners Belavita, Vaseline, and Parle Hide & Seek, and special sponsors like Ching’s Schezwan Chutney and Berger Paints.

    The sponsorship lineup also featured beauty partner Blue Heaven, hygiene partner Harpic, and home decor partner My Trident, alongside Go Cheese, Macho Sporto, Good Knight, and Galaxy Chocolate as associate sponsors. On the digital front, major players like Vimal, Housing.com, Oppo, LG Hot and Cold AC, and Rapido Cabs amplified the show’s reach, with First Games, Manyavar, Manforce, Kellogg’s Muesli, Roff, Streax, and Swiss Beauty adding to the mix.

    Love it or hate it, you just can’t ignore it. Bigg Boss 18 was an unstoppable force across YouTube, Meta, and X, fueling heated debates, meme storms, and endless discussions. Whether it was contestants’ fiery showdowns, jaw-dropping twists, or unexpected evictions, social media lived and breathed every moment.

    With record-breaking numbers, insane engagement, and a growing fanbase, Bigg Boss has once again proved why it remains India’s most-loved reality show. And if Season 18 was this explosive, we can only imagine what’s in store for next year. Buckle up, because the drama is far from over!

  • COLORS steps up the game with India’s Got Talent #talent4good initiative

    COLORS steps up the game with India’s Got Talent #talent4good initiative

    MUMBAI: ‘Don’t let talent go to waste’, advocates COLORS’ flagship reality show, Maruti Suzuki Arena presents India’s Got Talent powered by Vaseline and Frooti.  The show that adjudges talent sans any gender, age, social status or location bias, in its 8th Season took innovation a notch up with its latest campaign called, #Talent4Good. Expounding on its launch proposition – ‘Woh talent hi kya jo kisi ke kaam na aye’ and adding more color to the lives of the less privileged, the campaign engaged their viewers and involved more than 50 NGO’s to spread joy amongst their beneficiaries. Talented individuals from various cities formed groups, sang, danced and performed with members of q-age homes, orphanages, and other under privileged sections to fill up the void of companionship and to entertain them through their talent and light up their lives. Spreading cheer across the country, the campaign managed to touch the lives of many through these efforts.

    The high-buzz media outreach plan that spanned across different platforms and also mobilized more than 900 students across 58 markets to use this opportunity and exhibit their talent to spread cheer in the society. This initiative resulted in an overwhelming participation of people from different walks of life.

    Having rolled out an effective and engaging media campaign said, Sapangeet Rajwant, Head- Marketing, COLORS, “India’s Got Talent as a concept provides us with a huge canvas to engage viewers across age groups. Leveraging the festival period when people are in a generous mood we went to town with the   #Talent4good campaign giving every individual a chance to give back to the society in a very simple way, i.e. by showcasing their talent. Lightening the burden of many families, COLORS, distributed hearing aids amongst those with a hearing disability and also went into hinterlands to distribute food grains, thus helping and cheering up the indigents. Our endeavor has always been to draw viewers in a way that is relevant and constructive. With efforts such as these our commitment towards being socially relevant continues on-air as well as off-air.”

    Engaging the existing and inviting new audiences the #Talent4good campaign witnessed more than 2 million listeners of Mumbai and Delhi through various activities. While Radio City RJs entertained children from orphanages through their singing and storytelling talents, BIG FM listeners were urged to beautify the city, converting dirty walls into colourful murals. Local talent entertained beneficiaries of various NGOs in Delhi, which was amplified through Big FM.

    900 colleges in 40+cities were contacted to adopt and take forward the messaging of the #together4good campaign.  Across pandals in Ahmedabad, Surat and Rajkot, dancers showcased their talent and the calories thus burnt were equated to the quantity of food packets/meals and donated to NGOs. The channel distributed 2,000 kg of food grain to 27 NGOs.

    Hearing aids were given away at a musical event hosted by 9X Tashan in which 10,000 audience members displayed their collective singing talent. A talent hunt was organized at the Colors Golden Petal Club in Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi and Agra, giving participants a chance to be become a part of the COLORS family. Through Maharashtra’s Got Talent, people from 25 cities across the state showcased their talent and entertained the underprivileged. A talent workshop was also conducted for differently-abled children. Resident Welfare Associations across Mumbai were tapped during Navratri to spread the message of the campaign.

  • Q1-2016: HUL y-o-y marketing spends up 22%

    Q1-2016: HUL y-o-y marketing spends up 22%

    BENGALURU:  Indian FMCG giant Hindustan Unilever Limited’s (HUL) Advertisement and Promotions expense (marketing spends, ASP) in Q1-2016 (quarter ended 30 June, 2015) was 22.1 per cent more at Rs 1153.39 crore (14.2 per cent of Total Income from operations or TIO, approximately $181.4 million) than the Rs 944.88 crore (12.2 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015 and was 12.2 per cent more than the Rs 1027.89 crore (13.4 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2015.

    Note: (1) 100 lakh = 100,00,000 = 1 crore = 10 million.

    (2) All figures in this report are standalone figures filed by the company. The trends are based on the numbers submitted by the company or picked up from the company’s website. For performance of HUL’s various product lines please refer to the attached earnings release for Q1-2016.

    (3) The US dollar figures are approximately based on a conversion rate of 1US$ = Rs 63.57.The converted numbers have been rounded off.

    HUL chairman Harish Manwani said, “In a subdued market environment, the business delivered another quarter of healthy volume led growth and strong improvement in operating margin. We are particularly pleased with the stepped up momentum in personal products and the sustained double digit performance in packaged foods. With the near term outlook largely dependent on pickup in rural markets and commodity costs expected to remain benign with little or no price growth across select categories, our focus will be to drive market development and simultaneously deliver cost efficiencies to sustain profitable volume led growth.”

    Advertising and Sales Promotion trends

    As a matter of fact, HUL’s ASP in Q1-2016 is the highest during a 13 quarter period starting Q1-2013 until Q1-2016, both in terms of percentage of TIO and in absolute rupees. During the period under consideration in this report, ASP in absolute rupee spends shows a marked linear increasing trend, while ASP in percentage of TIO terms shows a slight linear increasing trend, though more marked than until the previous quarter. The company’s lowest ASP was in Q2-2013 at Rs 768.98 crore  (12.2 per cent of TIO) in absolute rupee spends during the period under consideration, while the lowest in terms of percentage of TIO was in Q4-2014 at 11.8 per cent of TIO (Rs 840.34 crore). Please refer to Fig A below.

    If the company follows the trends of the past three fiscals, at least one or more quarter in FY-2016 will see higher ASP in terms of absolute rupees than Q1-2016.

    HUL Revenue and PAT

    HUL reported five per cent growth in TIO in Q1-2016 at Rs 8105.13 crore as compared to the Rs 7716.34 crore in Q1-2015 and reported 5.6 per cent growth as compared to the Rs 7094.01 crore in the immediate trailing quarter. The company’s TIO shows a linear increasing trend as indicated by the broken blue trend line in Fig B below. TIO in Q1-2016 is the highest reported by the company during the 13 quarter period under consideration in this report.

    HUL’s PAT in Q1-2016 was almost flat (higher by 0.2 per cent) at Rs 1059.14 crore (13.1 per cent of TIO) as compared to the Rs 1056.85 crore (13.7 per cent of TIO) in the corresponding quarter of last year and was four per cent more than the Rs 1018.08 crore (13.3 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2015. During the period under consideration, HUL’s highest PAT was in Q1-2013 at Rs 1331.19 crore (20.9 per cent of TIO), both in terms of absolute rupees and in percentage of TIO. While PAT in absolute rupees shows a linear increasing trend as indicated by the broken pink trend line in Fig B below, while in terms of percentage of TIO, the linear trend is declining as indicated by the broken yellow line below.

    HUL Speak: Category and brand growth 

    HUL says that during Q1-2016, its domestic consumer business grew at five per cent, with six per cent underlying volume growth. The growth in the quarter was impacted by the phasing out of excise duty incentives and price de-growth, as the benefit of lower commodity costs was passed on to consumers.

    Soaps and Detergents

    In Skin Cleansing, the performance was driven by the premium segment, with Dove and Lifebuoy Handwash delivering strong growth.

    In Laundry, Surf maintained its strong volume led growth momentum with broad based double digit growth. Rin did well on the bars portfolio, while Comfort Fabric Conditioners delivered another quarter of high growth on sustained market development.

    In Household Care, Vim delivered double digit volume growth, driven by the tubs and liquids formats.

    The quarter witnessed further price deflation across these categories given benign input costs.

    Personal Products

    Skin Care delivered broad based volume led growth across Fair and Lovely, Pond’s, Lakme and Vaseline. Fair and Lovely saw an encouraging response to the newly launched BB cream. Pond’s performance was led by premium skin lightening and facewash while Lakme’s growth was buoyed by CC Cream, Perfect Radiance and new innovations.

    Hair Care maintained its strong volume led growth momentum. Dove growth accelerated further, while Clinic Plus, Sunsilk and TRESemmé continued to deliver robust growth.

    In Oral Care, Close Up grew in double digit, supported by impactful market activation. In Pepsodent, the Gum Care and Clove & Salt variants continued to do well, with the latter been extended nationally during the quarter.

    In Colour Cosmetics, Lakme sustained its strong innovation led performance across the core, Absolute and 9 to 5 ranges.

    Beverages

    Tea delivered double digit growth with healthy volumes, led by Red Label and another strong quarter on Lipton Green Tea. In Coffee, Bru Gold sustained its robust growth momentum.

    Packaged Foods

    Market development continues to be the key driver of growth in this segment says HUL. Kissan delivered one of its strongest quarters as growth accelerated across both ketchups and jams. Knorr grew despite a sharp market slowdown in the quarter, led by instant soups. Ice creams registered double digit growth, driven by sharper in-market execution on Kwality Walls and the extension of Magnum to new cities.

    Water

    Pureit sustained its growth ahead of a slowing durables market, with premium devices delivering another quarter of double digit growth. The category performance continued to be led by modern trade, ecommerce and Perfect Stores

    Click here to read the unaudited financial statement