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On Thursday, a bench of the Delhi High Court heard a lawsuit filed by Honasa Consumer Limited against Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) regarding an allegedly disparaging sunscreen advertisement. Both parties agreed to settle the matter amicably. HUL agreed to modify the advertisement and remove it from both online platforms and out-of-home (OOH) placements.

As per the agreement reached in court, HUL will revise the ad by changing the product’s color to light yellow, ensuring it no longer resembles Honasa Consumer’s Derma Co. sunscreen. Additionally, the phrase “online bestseller” will be replaced with “some sellers.” The online ad will be taken down in 24 hours, and hoardings will be removed in the following 48 hours.

In response to the Delhi High Court’s ruling, HUL said in a statement: “The Honorable Delhi High Court has allowed us to continue with the campaign with certain modifications. There is no injunction against the Lakmé campaign. In return, Honasa has also agreed to remove their social media posts from all platforms.”

“We respect the outcome and will proceed with our Sun Superiority Campaign with the required modifications. This underscores the critical need to raise awareness around SPF efficacy, transparency, and accountability in the sun care category—keeping consumer interest and safety at the forefront. Lakmé has been conducting SPF efficacy and safety tests for over a decade, following globally accepted scientific protocols.”

“We have always believed in the power of science to drive product innovation and safeguard consumer interests. This campaign is part of Lakmé’s broader commitment to setting a new benchmark for sun protection standards in India.”

HUL further stated: “Unfortunately, some sellers have been falsely advertising SPF 50. Independent testing by accredited labs revealed that these products fall significantly short of their claimed SPF levels, misleading consumers—potentially leading to skin issues such as pigmentation, aging, and spots.”

“At Lakmé, we remain unwavering in our commitment to integrity, consumer safety, and scientific excellence. We aim to be a leading voice advocating for transparency and higher standards in skincare by developing products grounded in rigorous science, research, and innovation.”

The controversy began when Lakmé, an HUL brand, launched a marketing campaign promoting its Lakmé Sun Expert SPF 50 sunscreen. The campaign introduced a dramatized concept called the “SPF Lie Detector Test,” which alleged that some “online bestsellers” significantly overstated their SPF protection. Although the ad did not explicitly name any brands, it featured two unbranded sunscreen bottles that closely resembled Mamaearth’s The Derma Co. and Nykaa’s Dot & Key products.

Lakmé claimed the campaign was grounded in in vivo testing — a globally recognized gold standard for sunscreen efficacy — conducted by an independent accredited lab. The company asserted that while its product met the SPF 50 standard, other tested sunscreens provided protection as low as SPF 20.

“We’ll continue with the campaign, with modifications,” says HUL on Lakmé Ad dispute

On Thursday, a bench of the Delhi High Court heard a lawsuit filed by Honasa Consumer Limited against Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) concerning an allegedly disparaging sunscreen advertisement. Both parties agreed to resolve the matter amicably. HUL consented to modify the ad and remove it from both online platforms and out-of-home (OOH) placements.

Per the agreement reached in court, HUL will alter the advertisement by changing the product's color to light yellow, ensuring it no longer resembles Honasa Consumer’s Derma Co. sunscreen. Additionally, the phrase “online bestseller” will be replaced with “some sellers.”

Attorneys for Honasa also requested that HUL withdraw its case against the brand in the Bombay High Court, to which both parties agreed.

Justice Amit Bansal noted that HUL would take down the online version of the advertisement by 24 hours, and all hoardings by both parties would be removed within 48 hours.

Senior Counsel Amit Sibal, representing Honasa — the parent company of Mamaearth — had urged the court to order immediate removal of the HUL advertisement from all platforms, including print, digital, OOH, and social media.

On April 16, Justice Bansal had remarked that, on its face, the ad appeared to be disparaging. At HUL’s request, the court granted a one-day extension for the company to file a formal response. HUL’s legal team also informed the court that it had filed a similar case against Honasa Consumer.

The court had stated: “The impugned advertisements by the defendants are clearly disparaging and misleading. Issue notice. Notice is accepted by the defendant’s counsel, who requests one day to obtain instructions. The evidence submitted relies on Division Bench judgments.”

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/brand-battles-get-personal-why-comparative-advertising-is-having-a-moment-62492.htm">Read More: Brand battles get personal: Why comparative advertising is having a moment</a>

The controversy began when Lakmé, an HUL brand, launched a marketing campaign promoting its Lakmé Sun Expert SPF 50 sunscreen. The campaign introduced a dramatized concept called the “SPF Lie Detector Test,” which alleged that some “online bestsellers” significantly overstated their SPF protection. Although the ad did not explicitly name any brands, it featured two unbranded sunscreen bottles that closely resembled Mamaearth’s The Derma Co. and Nykaa’s Dot & Key products.

Lakmé claimed the campaign was grounded in in vivo testing — a globally recognized gold standard for sunscreen efficacy — conducted by an independent accredited lab. The company asserted that while its product met the SPF 50 standard, other tested sunscreens provided protection as low as SPF 20.

Mamaearth responded quickly. Co-founder Ghazal Alagh publicly accused Lakmé and HUL of copying not just Mamaearth’s sunscreen, but other products as well — including its vitamin C face wash and onion shampoo. In a now-deleted social media post, Alagh shared side-by-side comparisons and product launch timelines with the caption “OG vs Copy” to support her claim.

“India’s FMCG sector has lacked strong competition for a long time,” Alagh wrote in another post that remains online. “We take pride in challenging the status quo and consistently pushing legacy brands to do better.”

In an exclusive statement to Storyboard18, HUL defended its sunscreen and campaign, stating that all claims were supported by rigorous testing. “Since 2015, we’ve conducted in vivo SPF testing across our sun care portfolio,” said an HUL spokesperson. The company further alleged that several popular sunscreens have been “falsely claiming SPF 50.”

“In the interest of consumers, independent lab testing has shown that some of these products fall far short of their stated SPF claims,” the spokesperson added. “This misleads consumers and could lead to potential skin issues such as pigmentation, premature aging, and dark spots. Indian consumers deserve sunscreens they can trust.”

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/advertising/delhi-hc-flags-huls-lakme-ad-as-disparaging-in-mamaearth-lawsuit-62443.htm">Read More: Delhi HC flags HUL’s Lakmé Ad as disparaging in Mamaearth lawsuit</a>

Breaking: Honasa and HUL settle sunscreen Ad dispute, Lakmé to modify campaign

On Wednesday, a Delhi High Court bench heard the lawsuit filed by Honasa Consumer Limited against Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) over an allegedly disparaging sunscreen advertisement. After reviewing the submissions, Justice Amit Bansal found the ad to be disparaging and granted HUL one day to file its response.


Senior counsel Amit Sibal, representing Honasa Consumer Limited — the parent company of Mamaearth — urged the court to order the immediate removal of the HUL advertisement across all platforms, including print, out-of-home (OOH), digital, and social media.


Justice Bansal remarked that, on its face, the advertisement appeared to be disparaging. At the request of HUL's counsel, the court granted a one-day extension for the company to submit its reply. HUL’s legal team also informed the court that it has filed a similar lawsuit against Honasa Consumer Limited. The court asked for more details about this counter-case and noted that it would be heard separately.

The court remarked that, "A trader is not entitled to denigrate or defame the goods of his competitors while comparing his goods with that of other traders in comparative advertising. The comparing of one's goods with that of others and establishing the superiority of one's goods over that of others is permissible.

However, while doing so one is not allowed to make a statement that the goods of others are bad, inferior or undesirable as that would amount to defaming or denigrating the goods of others which is actionable. 

Attention of the court has been drawn to a in-vivo testing carried out by the plaintiff of its product, which confirms the fact that plaintiff has an SPF of 50 carried out by a government accredited laboratory. It is stated that the impugned advertisement came up for the first time on 12th April 2025. And has been appearing on print, digital and social media. 

Court further said, "Impugned advertisements of the defendants are clearly disparaging and misleading. Issue notice. Notice is accepted by the counsel on behalf of defendant who seeks one day's accommodation, to take instructions. The evidence is placed reliance on judgment of Division benches."

The dispute began when Lakmé, a brand under HUL, launched a marketing campaign promoting its SPF 50 sunscreen product, Lakmé Sun Expert. The campaign introduced a dramatized concept called the “SPF Lie Detector Test,” which suggested that certain “online bestsellers” significantly overstated their SPF protection. Though the ad did not name specific brands, it featured two unbranded sunscreen bottles that closely resembled products from Mamaearth’s The Derma Co. and Nykaa’s Dot & Key.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/sunscreen-showdown-honasas-ghazal-alagh-takes-a-jab-at-hul-owned-lakme-62293.htm">Sunscreen showdown: Honasa's Ghazal Alagh takes a jab at HUL-owned Lakmé</a> 


According to Lakmé, the campaign was based on in vivo testing — a globally recognized gold standard for evaluating sunscreen efficacy — conducted at an independent, accredited laboratory. The company claimed its product met the advertised SPF 50 standard, while others tested offered protection as low as SPF 20.


Mamaearth responded swiftly. Co-founder Ghazal Alagh publicly accused Lakmé and HUL of copying not only Mamaearth’s sunscreen but also other products, including its vitamin C face wash and onion shampoo. In a now-deleted social media post, Alagh shared side-by-side comparisons and product launch timelines under the headline “OG vs Copy” to back her claims.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/skincare-brand-wars-ghazal-alagh-accuses-hul-owned-lakme-of-copying-and-backbiting-62329.htm">Mamaearth's Ghazal Alagh backtracks, deletes post accusing HUL-owned Lakmé of 'copying' and 'backbiting'</a> 


“Indian FMCG has lacked strong competition for a long time,” Alagh wrote in another post that remains online. “We take pride in challenging these norms and repeatedly waking up legacy brands.”


In an exclusive statement to Storyboard18, HUL defended its sunscreen product and the associated campaign, asserting that all claims were backed by rigorous testing. “Since 2015, we’ve conducted in vivo SPF testing across our sun care portfolio,” said an HUL spokesperson. The company also alleged that several popular sunscreen brands have been “falsely claiming SPF 50.”


“In the interest of consumers, independent lab testing has revealed that some of these products fall well short of their stated SPF claims,” the spokesperson added. “This misleads consumers and can lead to potential skin concerns like pigmentation, premature aging, and dark spots. Indian consumers deserve sunscreens they can truly trust.”


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/advertising/mamaearth-lakme-faceoff-skincare-brand-wars-heat-up-hul-responds-62367.htm">Mamaearth-Lakmé faceoff: Skincare brand wars heat up, HUL responds</a>

Delhi HC flags HUL’s Lakmé Ad as disparaging in Mamaearth lawsuit

A new brand rivalry has emerged under the intense summer spotlight, as Honasa Consumer Ltd., the parent company of Mamaearth, has filed a lawsuit against Hindustan Unilever Ltd. (HUL), accusing the FMCG giant of brand mimicry and demanding the removal of its latest ad campaign. According to sources, the first court hearing is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.


The dispute centers around a battle between HUL’s Lakmé and Honasa’s Mamaearth over sunscreen effectiveness — and allegations of imitation.


The feud began when Lakmé launched a new marketing campaign for its SPF 50 sunscreen, Lakmé Sun Expert. The campaign introduced a dramatized concept called the “SPF Lie Detector Test,” which suggested that some “online bestsellers” significantly exaggerated their SPF claims. While the ad didn’t explicitly name any brands, it featured two unbranded sunscreen bottles that bore a strong resemblance to products from Mamaearth’s The Derma Co. and Nykaa’s Dot & Key.


Lakmé claimed the ad was based on in vivo testing — a globally recognized gold standard for evaluating sunscreen effectiveness — conducted at an independent, accredited lab. According to the company, while its product met the advertised SPF 50 level, others tested delivered as little as SPF 20.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/advertising/mamaearth-lakme-faceoff-skincare-brand-wars-heat-up-hul-responds-62367.htm">Mamaearth-Lakmé faceoff: Skincare brand wars heat up, HUL responds</a> 


Mamaearth responded quickly. co-founder Ghazal Alagh took to social media to publicly accuse Lakmé and its parent company, HUL, of copying not only Mamaearth’s sunscreen but also other products, such as its vitamin C face wash and onion shampoo. In a now-deleted post, Alagh shared side-by-side images and launch timelines under the headline “OG vs Copy” to support her claims.


“Indian FMCG has lacked strong competition for a long time,” Alagh wrote in another post that is still online. “We take pride in challenging these norms and repeatedly waking up legacy brands.”


In an exclusive statement to Storyboard18, HUL defended its product and advertising, stating that its sunscreen claims are thoroughly validated. “Since 2015, we’ve conducted in vivo SPF testing across our sun care portfolio,” said an HUL spokesperson. The company also asserted that several popular sunscreen brands have been “falsely claiming SPF 50.”


“In the interest of consumers, independent lab testing has shown that some of these products fall significantly short of their stated SPF levels,” the spokesperson added. “This misleads consumers and poses potential skin risks, including pigmentation, premature aging, and dark spots. Indian consumers deserve access to sunscreens they can trust.”


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/skincare-brand-wars-ghazal-alagh-accuses-hul-owned-lakme-of-copying-and-backbiting-62329.htm">Mamaearth's Ghazal Alagh backtracks, deletes post accusing HUL-owned Lakmé of 'copying' and 'backbiting'</a>

Honasa Consumer takes HUL to Delhi HC, seeks removal of Lakmé sunscreen Ad

Vishal Gupta

Previous: Vice President - Beauty and Personal Care, Unilever Russia

Present: EVP - Consumer Beauty Brands, FSN E-Commerce Ventures Ltd (NYKAA)

FSN E-Commerce Ventures Ltd (NYKAA) appointed Vishal Gupta as executive vice president for its consumer beauty brands. With nearly three decades of experience in the FMCG space, Gupta joins Nykaa after a long tenure at Unilever globally where he led large-scale, award-winning campaigns and teams. In his last role at Unilever Russia, Gupta helmed the beauty and personal care business comprising a large portfolio of international and local brands including Lux, Surf Excel, Wheel and Sunlight. Gupta will now steward Nykaa’s transformative growth across its portfolio of owned consumer brands. Gupta’s appointment comes just a day after Nykaa announced the resignation of Reena Chhapra, CEO of its private label division. Recently, the company also confirmed the acquisition of lifestyle platform LBB.

Reena Chhabra

Previous: CEO - Private Label, Nykaa

Present: Not known

Reena Chhabra, who had served as the chief executive officer of e-commerce beauty company Nykaa's beauty private label has decided to move on. Her resignation will come into effect on August 16. During her six year stint at Nykaa, she helped take the private label to more households, introduced new product lines and expanded distribution. Chhabra has over two decades of experience and has worked across companies like Kodak, Kaya Skin Care, Unilever and Colorbar USA.

Ashish Tiwari

Previous: Chief Marketing and Digital Officer, Future Generali

Present: CMO, Home Credit

Ashish Tiwari, who served as the chief marketing and digital officer at Future Generali has put in his papers and is set to join consumer finance provider Home Credit as its CMO. With over two decades of experience under his belt, Tiwari is a seasoned marketer who has held positions at companies like HCL Infosystems, Vodafone, and JACPL etc.

Vineet Nair

Previous: Vice President - Mindshare

Present: Head of Media - Amazon India

Amazon India appointed Vineet Nair as the head of media. Previously, Nair was the vice president of GroupM’s Mindshare where he headed the client leadership and planning vertical for Mindshare Fulcrum. Nair has also been a part of organisations like Lodestar Universal and Amazon. At the e-commerce platform, he led the media planning and buying, and handled long term media strategy. Further, he looked after the day-to-day deployment for Amazon.in and new engagement platforms like Prime (video and retail), digital payment solutions, fashion and grocery.

Rajesh Ghatge

Previous: Chief Growth Officer, Publicis Groupe

Present: CEO, Wondrlab Technologies

Wondrlab Technologies appointed Rajesh Ghatge as the chief executive officer. Wondrlab India, a martech startup, launched Wondrlab Technologies to help clients transform their businesses and brands in the dynamically evolving industry 4.0 digital landscape. Ghatge has held senior positions at Amul, Lamb Weston, Bates CHI &amp; Sercon, iCare Life, Indigo Consulting etc. In April, Wondrlab acquired a data-driven influencer marketing platform Opportune. Through this acquisition, the company has added influencer marketing solutions to its network.

Ganapathy Balagopalan

Previous: Head Of Strategic Planning, Ogilvy West and East

Present: Deputy Chief Strategy Officer, Ogilvy India

Ogilvy India has promoted Ganapathy Balagopalan to the position of deputy chief strategy officer where he will partner some of the agency’s key clients. Further, he will be the national effectiveness leader and help teams across markets. Ganapathy will also partner account management and creative leaders to drive digital excellence.

Abhinav Kaushik

Previous: Executive Vice President &amp; Head of Office, Dentsu

Present: President, FCB India

FCB Ulka appointed Abhinav Kaushik to the position of president. Armed with more than two decades of experience, Kaushik started his career as an area sales manager at GE Capital. Then he moved to Contract Advertising and worked as an account manager. At M&amp;C Saatchi, he was the account director, and from there he moved to J.Walter Thompson and was the vice president and client services director. At Dentsu, headed the Delhi and Mumbai offices of Taproot Dentsu and Dentsu One. His work experience spans across multiple categories from FMCG, telecom and consumer electronics to auto, education, finance and fashion.

Pratik Mukkherjee

Previous: Head Of Marketing, Infra.Market

Present: Vice President - Brand Factory, Honasa Consumer Pvt Ltd

House of Brands for beauty and personal care Honasa Consumer Pvt Ltd appointed Pratik Mukkherjee as the vice president of the brand factory. In his new role, he will be responsible for crafting, launching, and building new brands businesses for the company. With 15 years of experience, Mukkherjee is a Cannes Lions-award winning commercial leader and his experience spans across consumer goods, technology and consumer internet sectors. At Procter &amp; Gamble, he started his career as the assistant country manager for Gillette India. He was promoted as the DTC head for the Indian and the South Asian region. From there, he moved to Urban Company where he was the marketing head of the beauty, men's grooming, and professional cleaning segment.

Jyoti Mahendru

Previous: Executive Vice President Human Resources, McCann Worldgroup

Present: Chief People Officer, Wunderman Thompson

Wunderman Thompson appointed Jyoti Mahendru as the chief people officer. In her new role, she will be responsible for talent development and talent acquisition strategies across the organisation and its group companies. Mahendru had started her career with Tata Press two decades ago. Then she moved to Star TV Network where she worked as the senior manager in the HR department. She then joined Barista Coffee Company and held the position of the vice president of HR.

Rohin Desai

Previous: Head - Trading and Partnerships, Mindshare Fulcrum

Present: National Media Buying Head, Bharat Media Group

Rohin Desai joined Bharat Media Group as the national media buying head. Desai had started his career with Godrej as the field officer. Then he joined the Media Edge as a media buyer and moved to Wavemaker as a business manager. At Lintas Media Group, he was the media director and later served as senior manager of media and planning at ICICI Prudential Life Insurance. At Mindshare and at Madison Communications, he was partner, and vice president of media buying. In the latter position at Madison, he headed media investments nationally for ITC.

Cherryn Dogra

Previous: Head of Marketing, India Leadership Team, Emaar India

Present: Chief Marketing Officer, Bharti Land

Bharti Land appointed Cherryn Dogra as the chief marketing officer. Armed with 17 years of experience, Dogra has held positions across organisations like United Breweries Ltd, Pernod Ricard India, Lodha Group, Xanadu etc. Prior to joining Emaar India, she was the head of marketing at DLF Limited.

Saurabh Bajaj

Previous: Head of Marketing - Dairy, Britannia Industries

Present: Not known

Saurabh Bajaj, who had served as the head of marketing of the dairy segment at Britannia Industries has decided to move on. During his stint, he was responsible for the marketing strategy, activations and media for the Rs 450-crore dairy portfolio. The portfolio included Britannia cheese, ghee, dahi, dairy whitener and Winkin Cow milk shakes. Prior to this role, at Britannia Industries, Bajaj was the marketing head and looked after the international business. He was responsible for marketing Britannia's international business of Rs 700 crore. For a decade, he was associated with Mondelez International, and his last position there was as the branch sales manager. Before joining Britannia Industries, Bajaj headed innovation for the premium and luxury segment at USL - Diageo.

Abhishek Bhatia

Previous: Head ECC Marketing Max Mudra, DDB Mudra Group

Present: Vice President - Marketing, Hindustan Wellness

Hindustan Wellness has appointed Abhishek Bhatia as the vice president of marketing. He started his career as a sales officer at Coffee Day Group. He’s had stints at Ogilvy, Bates CHI&amp;Partners, Percept Ltd, Telenor, GroupM and Impact Communications.

Fatima Qidwai

Previous: Marketing Professional, Future Group India

Present: Head of Digital Marketing, SMART Stores, Reliance Retail

SMART Stores, which is a part of Reliance Retail has appointed Fatima Qidwai as the head of digital marketing. Qidwai Started her career with Future Group India as senior executive store operations, and at Future Value Retail as the assistant manager marketing. She then moved to Reliance Retail as the chief marketing manager and at Shoppers Stop she worked as the deputy general manager of the marketing department.

Snigdha Anand

Previous: Senior Brand Manager, Surf Excel

Present: Vice President - Marketing, Mamaearth

Mamaearth appointed Snigdha Anand as the vice president of marketing. At Unilever, she led purpose-led communication development for water-saving products in home care. Anand has also worked at Unilever Sri Lanka. She’s been an area sales manager and national projects lead of sales strategy and analytics, and later was brand manager of Surf Excel.

Sagar Sharma

Previous: Senior Manager, Strategic Portfolio Management, APAC, GSK Consumer Healthcare India

Present: Director of Business Strategy, The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company appointed Sagar Sharma as the director of business strategy. Sharma has had stints at Aricent and Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting. He worked at GSK Consumer Healthcare India for a decade.

Pratik Adhikari, Parijaat Sehgal and Swati Agnihotri

Previous: Brand Director, Lowe Lintas; Associate Account Director, Innocean Worldwide India; Management Supervisor, Ogilvy

Present: Associate Vice President, Account Management; Associate Vice President and head - account management; Client Servicing Director

Advertising agency Enormous Brands strengthened its leadership team by roping in Pratik Adhikari, Parijaat Sehgal and Swati Agnihotri. Adhikari and Swhgal were both appointed as the associate vice president of the account management. Agnihotri was appointed as the client servicing director. Adhikari, who has an experience of more than a decade started his career with Ogilvy and worked with Leo Burnett and Hakuhodo Percept Pvt. Ltd. Sehgal has been a part of agencies like Adept ARTvertising, McCann Worldgroup and Ogilvy &amp; Mather. Agnihotri worked at Marico, DDB Mudra Group, ICICI Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank.

Jay Morzaria

Previous: Creative Associate, Spring Marketing Capital

Present: Creative director, Oktobuzz

A few months after joining Spring Marketing Capital, Jay Morzaria quit the company to join OktoBuzz as creative director. Morzaria has worked at Schbang, The Glitch, Wavemaker and ^atom network in the past. At Schbang he was the creative head handling Pidilite's Fevicol brand.

Pranesh Urs

Previous: Director - Marketing, Samsung Electronics

Present: Not known

Pranesh Urs, who served as the director of the marketing department at Samsung Electronics has decided to move on. Announcing his departure from the organisation, he said, “These 6 years have been an incredible journey. Happy to have contributed to the growth of the brand, and to see where it is today despite a very competitive category. Now, onto exploring new possibilities.”Urs started his career at Ashok Leyland. He had stints on the agency side with Bates CHI&amp;Partners and DDB Mudra Group. He moved to HP Inc where he was the country marketing manager of laptops and tablets. His expertise spans across marketing management, digital strategy, direct marketing, digital marketing, social media marketing, integrated marketing and advertising.

Govind Agarwal, Sulagna Chanda, Neha Gupta

Previous: Associate Vice President – Client Services, Publicis Groupe; Associate Director, Plum Insights &amp; Strategy; Client Servicing Director, Hakuhodo Lync Pvt. Ltd.

Creative arm of Havas Media Group, Havas Worldwide has appointed Govind Agarwal, Sulagna Chanda and Neha Gupta as the vice president of account management, vice president of strategic planning and associate vice president of client servicing, respectively.

Ashish Golwalkar

Previous: Content Head, SET (Sony Entertainment Television) and SonyLiv

Present: Not known

As per reports, Ashish Golwalkar, who was the content head of Sony Entertainment Television and SonyLiv, has decided to move on from the company. Golwalkar has more than two decades of experience which spans across sales and marketing, content syndication, brand management and content creation. He has held positions in companies like Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, and Star TV Network etc. Three weeks ago, SET had appointed Rachin Khanijo as the marketing head.

Reuben Karkaria

Previous: Creative Head, The Good Creator Co

Present: Group Creative Director, MullenLowe Lintas Group

MullenLowe Lintas recently appointed Reuben Karkaria as the group creative head. Karkaria’s expertise lies across digital and mainline advertising, copywriting, and creative strategy. He has been a part of agencies and media houses like Leo Burnett India and Miss Malini.

Manoj Jacob

Previous: BBDO Bangalore

Present: Executive Creative Director, Crayons

Digital marketing agency Crayons roped in Manoj Jacob as the executive creative director. Jacob has worked in agencies like Ogilvy, DDB Mudra, Soho Square, Havas and Contract Advertising. At BBDO, Jacob helped set up the creative team from scratch and oversaw the creative work for Mercedes-Benz TeamX.

Vishal Chopra

Previous: Senior Director and Head of Growth Marketing, Freshworks

Present: Chief Growth Officer, Hiver

Software company Hiver has appointed Vishal Chopra as the chief growth officer. Chopra has been a part of organisations like IBM where he was the global marketing lead and he led the marketing strategy and planning for GBS’s MobileFirst portfolio globally. At Freshworks, he looked after the strategy and programs to acquire new customers, expand into the current base and retain the accounts. Towards the end of July, Freshworks announced an integration with Google’s Business for Freshchat, Freshdesk Omnichannel and Freshsales Suite products.

Udayan Chakravarty

Previous: Executive Creative Director, Wunderman Thompson

Present: ECD, FCB India

Advertising agency FCB Ulka has roped in Udayan Chakravarty as the executive creative director. Chakravarty, who has an experience of more than 15 years, had started his career as a trainee with FCB Ulka. He has gone on to work with agencies like Ogilvy, Dentsu International, JWT Worldwide, Wieden+Kennedy etc. A week ago, FCB India had appointed former Dentsu executive Abhinav Kaushik as the president.

Sudheendra Chokkasamudra

Previous: National Lead - Agency accounts, MyGate

Present: VP - Sales and Strategy, Sense Digital

Advertising and digital marketing solutions provider Sense Digital appointed Sudheendra Chokkasamudra as the vice president of sales and strategy. In his new role, he will be responsible for demand generation and campaign strategy. Having an experience of more than a decade, Chokkasamudra has been a part of organisations like Ohana Media, Ozone Media, Digex Media, LocoBuzz, Firework, ETV Bharat etc. The agency also promoted Ekta Khungar as the vice president, sales - key accounts. Her role would see her boost online revenues for the company's key accounts, develop new business and generate revenue.

Raunaq Singh Kohli

Previous: Marketing Director - India, Tinder

Present: Head of Marketing, Hinge

Dating app Hinge appointed Raunaq Singh Kohli as the head of marketing. This move comes after his six-year stint with Match Group that owns Tinder. In his new role, he will head the launch, setup and growth of Hinge in India. At Match Group, he was marketing director of the India region and aided Tinder’s launch and growth. Recently, Match Group said it would drop Tinder’s plans of adopting newer technologies like virtual currencies and metaverse-based dating. Further, Match Group also acquired members-only dating app The League.

Rohit Gupta

Previous: Chief Revenue Officer - Ad Sales and International Business

Present: Advisor, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI)

Rohit Gupta, who served as the advisor to the management and the board at Sony Pictures Networks India has decided to move on. During his 20 years at SPNI, he was responsible for the organisation’s growth under the different profiles he held. In a recent announcement, SPNI said it has extended its broadcast partnership with England Wales and Cricket Board (ECB) until 2028.

Balachandran V

Previous: National Trading Director, Dentsu Media

Present: Executive Vice President, Havas Media Group

Havas Media Group appointed Balachandran V as the executive vice president. Having an experience of 25 years, Balachandran has worked across agencies like Mindshare and has worked as an investment director with MPG. Recently, the company launched a sports, entertainment and culture based agency called Cake in India. Further, it won the integrated media mandate of millet-based food children’s brand Slurrp Farm, and expanded its footprint in Eastern India by tying up with Kolkata based digital marketing agency ‘Quite Easily Done’.

Ferzad Variyava

Previous: Group Creative Director, FCB Interface

Present: CCO, Langoor

Digital marketing agency Langoor has appointed Ferzad Variyava as the chief creative officer. In his new role, Variyava will drive brand strategy and creative thinking upstream. He will also help to coordinate brand creativity with technology, data and web 3.0 as part of the digital marketing transformation process. Armed with an experience of more than two decades, Variyava has worked in agencies like Publicis India, McCann Erickson India, Leo Burnett, Fortune Communications Pvt. Ltd, JWT, DDB Mudra Group, Famous Innovations etc. In June, Langoor exited Havas Group within three years of acquisition by the media company. Also, in the same month, the agency brought Vinay Rao on board as the head of client success where his mandate would be to head digital strategy and digital transformation on key accounts. And, gaming and esports agency Power League Gaming---based in Dubai—named Langoor as its digital, creative and strategic agency partner.

Titus Upputuru

Previous: National Creative director, Taproot Dentsu

Present: Founder, Titus Upputuru Company

Writer, director, lyricist and former national creative director of Taproot Dentsu, Titus Upputuru launched his own advertising and films firm – The Titus Upputuru Company. The company will create content for brands and audiences across platforms where along with offering brand strategy and static creative solutions across mediums and platforms, the company will offer their expertise in video also. Upputuru, who has more than 25 years of experience, has been a part of agencies like Ogilvy &amp; Mather, Publicis, TBWA and Dentsu.

Compiled by Kashmeera Sambamurthy

CXO Moves: Nykaa ropes in Unilever exec as its private label CEO quits

MAST
Brand: Pampers India - #ItTakes2: A message from Dad
Agency: Leo Burnett
'#BaapBannaPadtaHai'

On Father’s Day, brands of all kinds will release tributes of all kinds. But this one keeps it real. Ninety-two percent of fathers regret not spending enough time with their children. The brand uses this number to tell the story of an ailing Mast &amp; Meh logofather and his son who is about to become a father. In his hospital bed the father shares with his son his deepest regret - not spending enough time with him. Then we see the father sending his son off to visit his newborn child in the same hospital. He sends him off with the advice to never miss a moment or milestone in his child’s life. As the son dutifully takes on the role of a doting and hands-on father, the ad film also highlights one important message: Parenting is not just a woman’s job.

<iframe title="Pampers #ItTakes2: A message from Dad" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uyjNptXJfz8" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

MAST
Brand: Astral Pipes | Dadho Sutho
Agency: The Womb
Lingua ad-franca

Ranveer Singh has endorsed everything from chips to condoms. Now he’s promoting pipes. In Sindhi. In this spot, a very toned down Singh is being taken on a home tour by an over-the-top Sindhi gent who seems to have been inspired by the Palace of Versailles for home décor. And, may we add, self décor. But all that glitters is not gold. Cheap pipes instantly turn the home into a crumbling, leaky mess. At this point Singh steps in with a line about stinginess. Despite the use of a stereotype as a comical device, the use of Sindhi instead of Hindi makes us curious enough to give this one a Mast.

<iframe title="Astral Pipes, #DadhoSutho! | Latest TVC featuring Ranveer Singh" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XJQ30KHcAKM" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

MEH
Brand: Britannia - Biscafe - Perfect Partner to Your Coffee
Agency: Lowe Lintas/Schbang Digital Solutions
Now you see him, now you don’t

Another spot with a celebrity brand endorser but this one only shows up in the last five seconds of the commercial. We’re not sure if they ran out of time or money, but this was a strange cup of tea to swallow. In the spot, we see a serpentine line of crackers go down like dominos around a home with a voiceover about the thin and melt-in-your-mouth crackers. It ends with the abrupt appearance of Karan Johar taking a bite out of a cracker. It’s unlikely a brand of that size didn’t have enough budget for a product launch ad. So, we can’t help but wonder about the reason behind this bland, blink-and-miss appearance by Johar of Koffee With Karan fame. But hey, they got a kute kitty that seemed to have more screen time. Still, the ad is not getting any coffee hampers from us.

<iframe title="Britannia BisCafe - Perfect Partner to Your Coffee" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xs1f5gQrpkc" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

MEH
Brand: Milton - #KuchNayaSochteHain
Agency: Ogilvy
Not so hot

The child test. Simple. Give a child anything and see if the thing makes it out in one piece. There’s so much Milton could have done to show off and play up the features of its tiffin boxes, which they have been making for 50 years. The power of exaggeration is an often used creative device, but Milton goes just quarter of the way in the ad. In the spot, we see a mother pack aloo matar and puri for her son in Milton’s Leaklock tiffin. First the boy hits the tiffin with a ball. The tiffin survives this brutal attack. She gives the box full of hot food to him and he tosses it in the air, dumps it in his bag and then bumps the bag into a chair. It drives home the point and is as satisfactory as warm-ish puris in the lunch box.

<iframe title="Milton Leaklock Tiffins" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZiaVMlks1z4" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

MAST
Brand: JioMart/ For Dad’s love that continues to stay
Keep it simple

A simple story of a daughter and her father with no major brand push. The daughter is seen using all the life lessons her father gave her even long after he’s gone. The brand wanted to push the message of ‘being there’ and they seem to have done that fairly welI. The spot is a good father’s day ad that is emotional without being too preachy, pushy or forcefully nostalgic.

<iframe title="For Dad’s love that continues to stay | A Father’s Day 2022 film" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pMr5VlBio4k" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

MEH
Brand: Mamaearth
Agency: Korra Worldwide
No offence, dear onion

Simply put, this new commercial starring Sara Ali Khan highlighting the benefits of onion in these products is boring. From what it looks like the script was intended to be funny with an actor sitting with tons of onion in front of him to find out remedies for hairfall but it fails on the wit front. The bland listing of the features and product benefits by Khan leaves this spot without shine. Even if the shampoo has ‘goodness’ this ad is no good. A strict Meh. (Nothing against onions.)

<iframe title="Mamaearth Onion Shampoo | Reduces Hair Fall Upto 60% In 4 Weeks*" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PbR98T2peEY" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

MAMAEARTH