Category: Agency News

Creativeland Asia vs WinZO: RMG firm told to furnish a bank guarantee of Rs 50 lakhs

Creativeland Advertising claimed that in February 2025, WinZO Games unexpectedly terminated discussions, opting to work with a different creative team and offering Rs. 10 lakhs as compensation for the tagline.

Storyboard18 had first reported the legal battle on March 5, titled “Creativeland Asia Takes WinZO to Court, Cries Foul Over Misuse of Creative Idea.”

Santosh Padhi launches independent advertising agency ‘Into Creative’

Into Creative will help brands find that Big Directional Idea — not a line that lives in communication, but a big bang of an idea that can penetrate deep into the brand universe, further added the agency in its statement.

Yogesh Rijhwani will lead creative, Tania Dey Strategy and Digital, Namrata Gosavi will lead design and digital, while Gargi Vegiraju will be the business lead. And, Santosh Padhi and Ayesha Ghosh will be involved with all aspects of the agency.

CCI raids: Leniency Program blows the lid off media cartelization

Leniency programs reduce fines or offer immunity to the first cartel member who cooperates with authorities, thereby destabilizing the cartel's secrecy.

The CCI also considers “plus factors,” additional indicators beyond mere parallel behavior, such as suspicious timing of price changes or communication records that suggest coordinated actions.

Liqvd Asia acquires AdLift to scale up operations in USA, GCC, APAC, Europe

To ensure operational continuity, AdLift’s leadership team will continue managing business functions within a joint leadership framework, reporting to the Liqvd Asia board. (Left: Arnab Mitra, founder and managing director of Liqvd Asia; right: Prashant Puri, co-founder and CEO of AdLift)

The digital-first advertising agency- Liqvd Asia has acquired performance marketing and SEO agency, AdLift. The combined entity aims to enhance client engagement, optimse ad spends, and grow in performance marketing space.

CCI raids Indian media agencies, ISA, AAAI, and IBDF – Insights from a senior leader who was questioned

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has investigated 35 cartel cases in the last five years, minister of finance and corporate affairs Nirmala Sitharaman told the Lok Sabha on Monday.

The CCI’s actions come amid growing scrutiny of advertising industry practices, especially in the context of media buying, pricing transparency, and the role of intermediary bodies.

Overnight raids and sleepless CEOs: How CCI cornered media giants

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has investigated 35 cartel cases in the last five years, minister of finance and corporate affairs Nirmala Sitharaman told the Lok Sabha on Monday.

Inside the glass-walled offices of these advertising giants, a long and tense night unfolded. CEOs and senior executives were confined to their boardrooms under the watchful eyes of CCI officials.

Breaking: CCI to expand media cartel probe, Big Tech & FMCG deals under scanner

Leniency programs reduce fines or offer immunity to the first cartel member who cooperates with authorities, thereby destabilizing the cartel's secrecy.

Sources close to the investigation revealed that during the raids, CCI officials discovered digital evidence suggesting possible involvement of Big Tech companies in digital media-buying deals.

CCI raids at dentsu, GroupM, IPG, Madison, Publicis fuel unrest; stakeholders demand fair probe

The advertising industry thrives on collaboration, partnerships, and innovation—and such (CCI investigating IPG, Publicis, GroupM, and dentsu) scrutiny, while necessary, has also led to uncertainty, said experts. (Image source: Unsplash)

Industry observers, questioning the possibility of regulatory overreach by Competition Commission of India, emphasised the need for a fair regulatory process that avoids stifling genuine competitive practices through broad-brush enforcement.