Badshah Masala is infusing fresh life into one of India’s most iconic jingles ‘Swaad Sugandh Ka Raja, Badshah Masala’. The brand today launched a new, progressive version of the iconic jingle that will focus on different consumption occasions through the prism of family and the time we spend with our loved ones while retaining the essence of the original tune. 

With Dabur acquiring the legacy brand last year, Badshah Masala has overhauled its product range and has added new products like quality spices and spice mixes to its portfolio along with a reinvigorated promise of Trust.  

Badshah Masala Chief Executive Officer Rehan Hasan said, “Badshah Masala is a household name in the spices and seasonings category in India. The jingle has been associated with Badshah Masala for decades and has become synonymous with the brand. The new version reflects the brand's commitment to quality and its roots in India's rich culinary heritage. We believe that it will strike a chord with the consumers and remind them of the authentic Indian flavours that Badshah Masala provides. The new jingle will be used in all Badshah Masala's advertising campaigns across various media platforms, including television, radio, and social media.” 

The creative mandate is being handled by Havas Worldwide India. The agency that has played a critical role in refreshing the old jingle will oversee the brand’s marketing communication going ahead. 

Speaking on the occasion, Havas Worldwide India Chief Creative Officer Anupama Ramaswamy said: “It was quite interesting to rehash the iconic jingle that has been etched in our minds for 40 years, while retaining its crux and feel. Therefore, while ideating we kept the angle of modern families, the new and healthy equation between them as well as changing roles, to make the ad more contemporary, aspirational, and relatable. There is no doubt that the new version of Badshah Masala ad is modern but at the same time there are situations which brings out beautifully the legacy of the brand.” 

“We are thrilled to bring on-board Badshah Masala in Dabur’s Foods portfolio and believe the addition will not only strategically expand our business but will also build on its existing legacy for all future intents and purposes. We aim to live up to consumer’s expectations of the premium and quality spices and spice mixes in the years to come. With Dabur’s acquisition of the legacy brand last year, Badshah Masala has overhauled its product range and has added new products like quality spices and spice mixes to its portfolio,” Mr. Hasan added.

Thums Up has unveiled a new power-packed campaign ‘Toofan Glass Mein Nahin, Glass Se Peete Hain’.

This campaign exhibits the experience of consuming Thums Up from the Returnable Glass Bottle (RGB). The new campaign features Shahrukh Khan and Vijay Deverakonda bringing out the TOOFANI adventure.

The campaign encourages consumers to have the ultimate TOOFAN experience by consuming chilled Thums Up from the returnable glass bottle, which further enhances its  strong taste with the rising fizz.

Commenting on the new campaign, Tish Condeno, Senior Category Director, Sparkling Flavors, Coca-Cola India & Southwest Asia said, “Thums Up is India’s very own homegrown brand and we are thrilled to bring forth the experience of relishing our chilled beverage with power-packed TOOFAN from returnable glass bottles. The campaign featuring our favourite Shahrukh Khan and southern superstar Vijay Deverakonda resonates with the brand’s ideology of experiencing THUNDER from a chilled returnable glass bottle.”

The launch of the new campaign reinstates the brand’s focus on providing consumers with an unparalleled consumption experience directly through glass bottles. Returnable glass bottles (RGB’s) are part of The Coca-Cola Company’s commitment to accelerate circular solutions for packaging. The Company’s World Without Waste strategy focuses on the entire packaging lifecycle—from how bottles and cans are designed and produced to how they’re collected, recycled and repurposed.

Ritu Sharda, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy India (North), said “Thums Up is the strongest drink in the market, and the whole act of SRK and Vijay Deverakonda grabbing a Thums Up glass bottle from the chiller, and just having it straight up felt raw and strong. Also, that pop sound of the crown flying off, watching the fizz rise up like a storm, the feel of the cold rim against your lips, and the thundering taste, of course, all adds to the Thums Up experience in a glass bottle, and we wanted you to experience that. Those of us who have had a chance to drink from the glass bottle, perhaps know that feeling, but for a whole new generation of Thums Up lovers, who still don't know, here's the truth -

"Thums Up peene ka Mazza glass mein nahin, glass se aata hai "

The new campaign has been brought to life through integrated 360-degree efforts across TV, social, digital, and OOH. The TVC revolves around the enriching experience of drinking the toofani beverage - Thums up, directly from the chilled glass bottle. This campaign is building on the brand’s recent campaigns on strong taste and how Thums Up pairs well with the strong flavours of biryani. 

After introducing Gaming and Metaverse, the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity organizers have now announced that they will create much-needed access for Black talent to the Festival and associated industries from this year onwards. Cannes Lions Festival is slated to be held in Cannes (France) from June 19 to 23. 

In association with Black British Network, Cannes Lions have launched Black Out 2023, which is a callout to organizations connected to the marketing and creative industries to ensure the presence of Black talent at the largest industry gathering in the world. 

The programme will secure attendance for up to 50 people from the Black community at this year’s festival through a campaign focused on driving investment from leading organisations, the organizers said in a press statement.  

Simon Cook, CEO of LIONS, said, "Cannes Lions is committed to driving equity within our industry, and we are pleased to be partnering with Cephas to launch Black Out as part of our commitment to actively combatting underrepresentation. Our industry recognises the importance of supporting Black talent and removing barriers to progression, and Black Out enables organisations to show their support.”

Cannes Lions will provide the Festival passes and the Black British Network will lead an investment campaign to cover flights, accommodation and associated costs. Any additional funds raised will be used to support the ongoing work of the Black British Network to achieve equity and inclusion across the industry.

The campaign is focused on improving accessibility authentically, from the ground up, and is open to Black talent at any stage of their career, from those who have been in the industry for many years, to those seeking a point of entry to the industry. Applications are now open on the Black British Network website and the Crowdfunder is now live.

Black Out 2023 is an evolution of an independent campaign launched by Cephas Williams, founder of the Black British Network in 2022 to see a greater level of Black representation at the Festival. 

In the lead-up to the Festival, Williams committed £20,000 of his own money to bring Black talent with him, and invited the industry to take action on their commitment to inclusion and invest alongside him. Williams’ own initial investment was more than tripled by the ensuing campaign and secured fully-funded access to Cannes Lions for six people.

Williams’ enduring ability to spot opportunities that uplift and develop Black individuals has inspired Cannes Lions to formally collaborate with the Black British Network on a joint talent programme. Whilst industry leaders are collectively vocal about the need for greater diversity, Black talent continues to be underrepresented and undervalued at all levels.

Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity’s line-up this year will draw inspiration from a broader and more diverse spectrum of creative disciplines, creators, visionaries and thinkers. 

The organizers have released the first list of 77 speakers. Among them are Sukesh Nayak, Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy; PG Aditiya, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer and Gautam Reghunath Co-founder and CEO of Talented ad agency. Aditiya and Reghunath had previously worked with dentsu and set up Talented only last year. 

Incidentally, Olgilvy and Talented both have recently created some wonderful campaigns with women in focus. 

Bengaluru-based Talented’s latest ad campaign “The Superwoman” for Tanishq reiterates that women are humans and being called a superwoman is a compliment only when it’s not an expectation. 

On the other hand, Oglivy’s campaign for JioCinema around India’s first Women's Premier League (WPL) celebrates the girls' entry in India’s biggest sought-after tournament and brand property. 

Actress and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Danai Gurira and top executives from Mondelez, Ali Baba, Google, Pfizer, P&G, Diageo, MIT and LinkedIn will also hit the stage. 

Besides, heads of several creative and media agencies such as DDB Mudra Worldwide, Mindshare, Mindscape, Digitas, Satchi & Satchi will also share their thoughts on a range of topics.

The prestigious award ceremony will be held in Cannes (France) from June 19 to 23. 

Dharampal Satyapal Foods Ltd, a part of DS Group has launched a new TVC for Pass Pass Pulse, the nation’s favourite hard-boiled candy, titled, ‘Courtroom’. Reiterating the core communication of the brand, ‘Pran Jaaye Par Pulse Na Jaaye’ in a light-hearted courtroom drama setting, the TVC features Mr. Saurabh Shukla and Mr. Abhishek Banerjee in the role of a judge and a lawyer respectively, trying to unfold a case with Pulse as the key evidence.  Mr. Shukla and Mr. Banerjee are famous for their acting prowess, screen presence and well-timed humour. This new TVC is a humorous take on a courtroom situation that highlights how the craving to have a Pulse can make people go to any lengths. The TVC has been conceptualized by Wunderman Thompson, Delhi and directed by Mr. Rajesh Krishnan. 

We see the Lawyer (Abhishek Banerjee) telling the Judge (Saurabh Shukla) about the evidence, a Pulse Candy left at a crime scene by the accused. Showing it to everyone present in the court, he asks who it belongs to. The craving for the candy is such that everyone raises their hands, including the Judge. But the clever lawyer outsmarted everyone by popping it in his mouth before anyone could grab it. 

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Arvind Kumar, General Manager, Marketing, Dharampal Satyapal Foods Limited, said, “‘Irresistibility’ is the core product philosophy of pulse. The behavioural insight of the consumers indicated that Pulse consumers don’t want to share their Pulse candy with anyone. We have built on this premise over the years through our communication Campaigns revolving around the theme, ‘Pran Jaaye Par Pulse Na Jaaye’. This latest TVC also highlights the irresistibility of Pulse in a humorous courtroom drama where everyone present, including the Judge is willing to be labelled as an accused, just to get their hands on Pulse candy.” 

Commenting on the campaign, Sundeep Sehgal, Vice President & ECD, Wunderman Thompson, said, “Over the years ‘Pran Jaaye Par Pulse Na Jaaye’ commercials have gained a separate fan base due to their whacky plots and masaledaar twists. And people want more. So, this time we took Tangy Twist a notch higher to increase brand love. We developed crazier stories. We roped in acting powerhouses – Saurabh Shukla and Abhishek Banerjee to take you on a never been before masaledaar journey that you’ll relish for a long time.” 

The campaign is live on leading channels like YouTube, Social Media (Facebook & Instagram), and OTTs (Hotstar, Zee5 etc.) 

DS Group is known for its expertise in innovative Indian flavours and formats. Pass Pass Pulse, the hard-boiled candy from DS Group stormed this market with its launch in 2015 and since then, is the leading candy brand in India. The tangy twist to the conventional taste makes Pulse an absolute standout! Pulse candy, continuously endeavours to engage with consumers through creative and innovative ways to develop a stronger connection. Launched in 2015, Pulse Candy comes in 5 mouth-watering flavours, i.e. Kachcha Aam, Guava, Litchi, Orange and Pineapple. The brand continues to enjoy popularity with the burst of tanginess and a feeling of fun and peculiarity that each flavour commands.

Around the world, there are signboards that can elicit laughter due to language or grammar errors. In India, there is a wide variety of such boards that have incorrect spellings or grammar. To combat this issue of incorrect signage, Duolingo has launched #SwachhBhashaAbhiyaan - The Clean Language Campaign in India. Through a clever play on words, this campaign aims to draw attention and generate awareness regarding the need to clean up mis-spelled and incorrect signage in various urban areas.

Humour Me is the creative agency behind Duolingo's #SwachhBhashaAbhiyaan campaign. The campaign will utilize Duolingo's iconic mascot, Duo, to clean up incorrect signage in key metropolitan areas across India in English, Hindi, and French. This social media first campaign is split into two parts. The first segment features Duo painting the town red by correcting roadside signage in fun ways, using red markers and spray paint to highlight errors. The second segment involves replacing linguistically incorrect signage with properly spelled boards to promote the use of correct language on signboards. The campaign aims to increase awareness about the importance of using accurate language, particularly on signboards.

Speaking about Duolingo’s quirky campaign, Karandeep Singh Kapany, Country Marketing Manager, Duolingo said, "Although India is the second largest English-speaking country in the world, only 10% of its total population speaks the language fluently. We recognized this issue and launched the #SwachhBhashaAbhiyaan campaign to combat the spread of linguistic errors on signage. To this end, Duo, our mascot, hit the streets of Delhi, personally highlighting mistakes and replacing incorrect boards with properly spelled ones. At Duolingo, we have always celebrated our learners' mistakes as valuable opportunities for growth, and we believe that making language learning enjoyable and fun is the most effective approach.”

The agency will be playing a key role in creating transformational experiences through 5G for individuals, homes and businesses as Jio True 5G ushers in a new era of technology.

Ayesha Ghosh, President, W+K India, had this to say about the win: “Jio True 5G is going to be a game-changer and W+K India couldn’t have asked for a more influential brand to begin our Mumbai chapter with. We are blown away by all that we’ve heard and experienced of True 5G and now it’s upto us to communicate the enormity of what it means to the country; its people and its economy.”

Santosh Paddy, CCO, W+K India said, "Jio True 5G has a massive vision to digitally transform India. W+K is the chosen one to take this exciting narrative to 1.4 billion Indians and we are so looking forward to giving it our best and partake in the transformation journey for our country".

A Jio spokesperson said, “We are delighted to have W+K on this journey with Jio, where we once again create the most advanced network anywhere in the world, for Indians and by Indians. W+K has a history of powering transformation of brands and stories. We are certain that our partnership will bring to life Jio’s vision of transforming India into a Digital Society, with care”.