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The use of AI is globally popular. It is being used now by political parties in India as well to generate content and advertisements to promote their campaign further and reach more masses. However, in a recent advisory issued by the Election Commission of India, it has been instructed that use of 'AI labelling' is necessary whenever generating content for political promotional purposes.

During the recently held 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, the Election Commission issued guidelines on 6th May 2024 for the responsible and ethical use of social media platforms. The aim of the guidelines was to prevent political parties and their representatives from disrupting a fair playing field by using “deep fakes” or AI-generated distorted content. They also sought to ensure strict compliance in avoiding any misuse of such technology during the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) period in the General Elections.

Recently issued instructions by the ECI said, "However, now considering the deepening influence of AI generated/synthetic content in shaping public opinion, the Election Commission of India advises all Political Parties and their leaders, candidates and star campaigners to also take necessary measures for prominent labelling of AI-generated/synthetic content, if any, being shared for campaigning through their social media platforms and other media platforms. Prominent and easily discernible labelling of AI-generated content would ensure responsible and transparent campaigning and informed voters."

The parties now have to clearly label any images, videos, audio, or other materials created or significantly modified using AI technologies must be clearly marked with labels such as “AI-Generated,” “Digitally Enhanced,” or “Synthetic Content.” Campaign advertisements or promotional content, whether shared online or on other platforms, must include disclaimers whenever synthetic content is used.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/microsoft-pledges-3-billion-for-ai-push-in-india-52537.htm">Read: Microsoft pledges $3 billion over two years for AI push in India</a>

Election Commission's advisory to political parties, 'Use label if content is AI generated'

On International Men’s Day, MediBuddy, a digital healthcare platform, has unveiled a campaign to transform the narrative around masculinity and healthcare. As per the company, the #MensHealthMatters campaign sparks conversations about men’s physical and mental health, challenging societal norms and promoting proactive health-seeking behaviours.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RniFluhjLu0?si=pqf3WnlZAISeB3bT" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Drawing from healthcare data, the video highlights the inverse relationship between men's caregiving duties and their personal health management. The campaign explores how men, in their role as family's pillar of strength, often place their own wellbeing last in the hierarchy of care. 

The company claims that 40% of men delay doctor visits until their conditions become critical, while 31% suffer from depression, with only one-quarter seeking professional help. These numbers highlight a concerning pattern of health neglect driven by traditional masculine stereotypes and societal expectations.

Saibal Biswas, SVP, and Head of Marketing, Partnerships & PR, MediBuddy, said, “Investing in personal health safeguards our ability to fulfil our responsibilities. At MediBuddy, we believe that taking care of yourself is the foundation for taking care of others. This campaign is about shifting the focus to a more inclusive approach to well-being and encouraging men to embrace self-care as a  act that strengthens their role as family anchors. Regular health monitoring ensures sustained well-being for the years ahead. It's time for men to make their healthcare a proactive priority and not a reactive necessity.”

The campaign, conceptualised and produced by MediBuddy’s in-house creative team, challenges deep-rooted societal norms that equate masculinity with stoic endurance of health issues. For many men, health concerns are left unaddressed, shaped by societal expectations of strength and resilience. 

MediBuddy's rolls out #MensHealthMatters campaign; claims 40% of men delay health check-ups

Mankind Pharma’s Prega News has unveiled a new video campaign titled #LetThemDecide. The film highlights the societal pressures on women to have a second child. According to the Union Health Ministry's National Family Health Survey, 76 percent of married women in India do not want a second child. Yet this rational choice is often undermined by ingrained societal norms.


The TVP centers around Shilpa, a married woman with one child. Through relatable vignettes, it portrays the constant pressure and scrutiny Shilpa faces about planning for a second baby. Despite her visible discomfort, the refrain that a family is ‘incomplete’ with only one child rings loud.


"With #LetThemDecide, we are initiating an important conversation that needs to be had, that the decision to have a child should lie solely with the couple themselves," said Joy Chatterjee, Associate Vice President, Sales and Marketing Head of Mankind's Consumer Business Unit. 


"For too long, women have been subjected to pressures from family and society on this deeply personal matter. By sharing Shilpa's all-too-common story, we want to champion and celebrate a woman's right to make this choice freely, without any guilt or coercion,” he added.


With #LetThemDecide, Prega News aims to spark this very dialogue in living rooms across India. As the nation's #1 pregnancy test kit brand trusted by millions of women, we feel it's time to stop pressuring couples and instead support their choices in family planning. It is said that a content mother fosters a happy family, and we wish every mother a fulfilling experience as she embarks on her motherhood journey. We proudly stand behind every couple, celebrating their decisions whether they plan for one child or two,” said Chatterjee.


The #LetThemDecide campaign is part of Prega News and Mankind Pharma's larger commitment to drive positive social change. By addressing systemic gender biases and inspiring families to respect a couple’s decision of family planning.


The #LetThemDecide video will be launched across digital platforms and amplified through strategic promotions by Prega News.

Prega News launches #LetThemDecide campaign to empower couples in family planning decisions

Duolingo has launched a campaign '#EnglishMeinNahiJamta' aimed at celebrating the untranslatable magic of words and phrases that capture the true essence of certain emotions in those specific languages. From the sheer delight of terms like "lallantop" (meaning ‘Superb’) to the heartwarming sweetness of "mishti," the campaign unearthed linguistic gems that unlocked a world of emotions and feelings for India to savour.

The campaign commenced with an interactive frenzy on Duolingo India’s Instagram page, inviting users to embark on a journey of linguistic discoveries. Guided by beloved characters Duo and Lily, users eagerly shared treasured words from their regional dialects that lost their magic when translated to English. These words provided intriguing glimpses into varied human experiences, fostering a deeper appreciation for linguistic diversity. For instance, take the Hindi word ‘Halwa’ meaning ‘Easy’ which is used in a sentence as ‘Halwa hai kya’ meaning ‘do you think it's easy?’ 

The linguistic parade continued with submissions surfacing exciting phrases like Precipitevolissimevolmente (meaning "Extremely Fast" in Italian), Sayonara (translating to "Goodbye" in Japanese), Khalis (representing "Genuine" in Arabic). Gujaratis chimed in with 'Dobi' (referring to "stupid"), Bengalis added a sprinkle of sweetness with 'Mishti' (describing "sweet"), and Telugus contributed 'bokulu' (meaning "utensils").

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C42bmMgRAgX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C42bmMgRAgX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; 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Karandeep Singh Kapany, Regional Marketing Director, Duolingo, stated “At Duolingo, we understand that languages are more than just communication tools—they're expressions of culture, emotion, and identity. Our '#EnglishMeinNahiJamta' campaign celebrates this beauty by highlighting words that defy translation and reflects a growing appreciation for linguistic diversity. Through initiatives like this, we empower individuals to embrace expression, enrich lives and foster global connections.”

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4xYhLNITrg/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4xYhLNITrg/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; 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transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4xYhLNITrg/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Duolingo India (@duolingo_india)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

Collaborating with YouGov, Duolingo conducted a comprehensive survey to gauge the attitudes of urban Indians towards language and expression, unveiling a burgeoning appreciation for linguistic diversity in the country. Findings from the survey revealed that over half (51%) of Indians often incorporate unique phrases (from different languages)  into their daily conversations. Additionally, over two-thirds (68%) of urban Indians agree that there are certain phrases or words in a language that convey nuanced meanings which cannot be fully translated or expressed in English; while an equal percentage (69%) admitted to using language-specific phrases or words that cannot be fully translated into English to articulate emotions/feelings (happy/sad) or engage in conversations with family and friends. Furthermore, 51% confessed to using these expressions as terms of endearment or love language or to inject humour and wit into their interactions.

 



Duolingo's new campaign #EnglishMeinNahiJamta celebrates linguistic diversity

Anoop Manohar, chief marketing officer at Axis Bank chats with Storyboard18’s Shibani Gharat about the brand’s 'Dil se Open' campaign, how it was born from their employees going beyond their duty to serve customers. He also talks about how they are creating value by helping customers achieve their dreams.

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Storyboard18 chats with Axis Bank’s Anoop Manohar

Zomato has done it again. The online food delivery company has yet again managed to start a boycott trend with its new campaign featuring Hrithik Roshan. This was the brand’s first attempt at using deepfake technology. What won Cadbury's Cannes Lions-winning campaign applause, clearly didn’t work for Zomato. Angry priests and hurt netizens pushed the brand to withdraw the ad.

However, domain experts do not blame the brand. According to them, Zomato was just trying to promote local businesses with the help of technology.

“Every word is scrutinized these days and people somehow have become over sensitive. Zomato has been successful with their tongue-in-cheek content and the campaign was an extension of the overall messaging. They didn’t deserve the trolling,” says N Chandramouli, chief executive officer (CEO) of Mumbai-based brand intelligence and advisory firm TRA Research.

This is not the first time the brand has found itself in a boycott saga.

<strong>Shockvertising </strong>

It is, in fact, the third time in a row that a campaign from the brand has received  backlash. One of the first campaigns that didn’t go down well was the brand’s outdoor campaign where the letters "MC.BC." (mac n’ cheese, butter chicken) were used in a creative way. Even though they were used as abbreviations of food item names, there was no fooling the crowd. People called out Zomato for pushing "sexist" and "cheap" messaging.

Then there was the 'Har Customer Hai star' campaign last year. When the campaign went live across TV and digital, people took offence because the spot showed how the delivery executive did not even have the time to take a selfie with Hrithik Roshan who also ended up calling the delivery executive 'Jadoo' (the alien character from Roshan’s film Koi Mil Gaya).

While the focus of the brand was to portray how every customer is important and calling the valet Jadoo was more about his super power of quickness, that was not how the ad was perceived.

There were questions on the gig economy, treatment of delivery agents, the impact of celebrity endorsements and, of course, brand culture.

<strong>Advertising in sensitive times </strong>

Talking of brand culture, Rutu Mody-Kamdar Founder of Jigsaw Brand Consultants, says Zomato’s content is reflective of their brand ethos which is fun, impulsive and tongue in cheek and off the traditional path.

“Unfortunately hypersensitivity has been dominating the way we respond to situations. Zomato is an iconoclastic brand and brands like this have no option but to face the reactions to their actions and wait for the controversy to fizzle out” she said.

"Sensitivity" is a very thin line in the world of advertising, and creators often find themselves on the wrong side of it, unintentionally says another industry expert who didn't want to be named. "Brands definitely need to be more careful and avoid any prejudice or stereotyping. Brands should be cautious not to rub religious sentiments the wrong way.”

<strong>Never too late to apologise</strong>

Looks like Zomato didn’t want to earn further ire of the Ujjain priests who were offended by the mention of Malakal in the brand's hyperlocal ad. They not only took down the ad but also issued a clarification that said, “The Hrithik Roshan-starrer ad that ran in certain pincodes of Ujjain referenced ‘thalis’ at ‘Mahakal Restaurant’, and not the revered Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple. Mahakal Restaurant is one of our high order-volume restaurant partners in Ujjain, and thali is a recommended item on its menu.”

The note further said, “The video is part of a pan-India campaign for which we identified top local restaurants and their top dishes based on popularity in each city. Mahakal Restaurant (simplified as ‘Mahakal’) was one of the restaurants chosen for the campaign in Ujjain. We deeply respect the sentiments of the people of Ujjain, and the ad in question is no longer running. We offer our sincerest apologies, for the intent here was never to hurt anyone's beliefs and sentiments.”


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