Abhijit Avasthi’s company Sideways Play launches its first card game

"We aim to build a community of users who enjoy word games. We will continue to launch new contests and versions of the games over the top through Instagram for the users to keep having fun in various ways with their WordIt! cards.” - Zahid Hussain, senior strategy director, Wordit

WordIt! is designed for 2-4 players and is a fun addition to weekend family time as well as house parties, and comes with three exciting word game plays.

Diageo India CEO Hina Nagarajan: Consumers are not necessarily drinking more, but they are drinking better

She also shared that living her purpose has defined the way she brings her best self to work. This is a formula for success she said. It’s how you deliver a win-win situation.

There’s been a structural shift in consumer choices and behavior over the last few years. Consumers are drinking better, they are living in the physical and the digital world now and really experimenting, said Hina Nagarajan, MD and CEO of Diageo India. In an exclusive interview with Storyboard18’s editor Delshad Irani, Nagarajan shared her views on the alcobev major’s premiumisation and M&A strategies, key consumer trends, advertising, women in leadership, ESG agenda and more.

GOAT ads featuring football legend Lionel Messi

Traditionally billions of viewers watch the World Cup, and as they concentrate on what is happening on the pitch, the names of some of the world’s biggest companies flash behind the players on a rolling, technicolored loop – Budweiser, Visa, Coca-Cola, Qatar Airways, Adidas, McDonalds, Wanda, Vivo, Hyundai Kia, BYJU’s and Vivo.

As the 2022 FIFA World Cup came to an end with Argentina lifting the cup, Lionel Messi cemented the fact that he is one of the greatest football players in the history of the sport. Let’s take a look at some of the ‘Greatest Of All Time’ ads that feature the ‘Greatest Of All Time’ sportsman.

Pepsi’s Saumya Rathor: We are building our muscle in the NFT space

Saumya Rathor says, "The collection is done by HUEMN, and we have a few pieces within that collection and it will have the Pepsi logo. It's essentially streetwear. Pepsi, as a brand, is all about really expressing. So, our collaboration is also in the lines that it should be easily accessible for the youth and easily wearable for the youth. And that's the reason why we've selected this particular label, because they live by those ethos."

Saumya Rathor, category lead, Pepsi Cola, PepsiCo India, talks about why the brand is building its muscles in the Web 3.0, NFT and metaverse spaces.

BYJU’s, FIFA World Cup and Messi: Divya Gokulnath on the moment Byju’s signed Lionel Messi as brand ambassador

The long-term engagement, which began as Lionel Messi embarked on his final campaign to win the FIFA World Cup 2022 as captain of Argentina’s national football team, was to see him feature in campaigns promoting Byju’s Education For All, Storyboard18 reported.

Calling founder Raveendran Byju’s words “prophetic”, co-founder Divya Gokulnath shared what happened in the moment Byju’s signed Lionel Messi as global brand ambassador for Education for All.

Online Dating in India: Young singles looking for casual yet clearly defined situationships, Tinder report

The dating app says that whether a user is looking for new friends, someone to hang out with, or a long-term partner, Tinder members have more control over who they connect with by having more insight into a potential match's intentions. In fact, 72 percent of Tinder members say they’re looking for someone who knows what they want. (Representational image via Unsplash)

Dating app Tinder’s latest brand film celebrates different kinds of human connections and the unexpected joys of dating on one’s own terms.

Puma-Anushka Sharma fake stunt: Are brands taking marketing gimmicks too far?

Puma, Monster (now Foundit) and Vim (owned by HUL) have recently used the device of fake stunts and staged drama online to get attention. The reactions are a mixed bag. (Representational image via Unsplash)

Brands are latching on to the trend of first fooling users and then revealing their actual intent. Some call it ‘shockvertising’ or simply an attempt to garner eyeballs in a highly distracted digital world.

32 million tuned in to JioCinema to watch the FIFA World Cup final

"We promised to give consumers easy access to the world-class presentation of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and on the back of that, the tournament became the most-watched global sports event on digital where India has not participated" - Viacom18 Sports CEO, Anil Jayaraj (Image source via Twitter - @Sports18)

Viewership on both TV and digital soared as Argentina went up against France in the final clash of the FIFA World Cup 2022 held in Qatar

Dentsu India bags integrated media mandate for Hero MotoCorp’s Vida

he account was won following a multi-agency pitch and will be serviced from the network’s Gurgaon office.

As per the mandate, Dentsu India will oversee the brand’s global full-funnel marketing, which includes performance and digital marketing. The agency will manage Vida’s branding and performance campaigns as the brand’s strategic media partner.

IPL becomes Decacorn, valuation jumps 75 percent to $10.9 billion in 2022: Report

With two new teams (Gujarat Titans and Lucknow SuperGiants) getting bought last year at a combined staggering value of $1.6 billion, the average price tag of a team has seen a 16-fold jump from its inception. These two factors were instrumental in boosting the valuation of IPL to become a Decacorn and the second largest sporting league (on a per match basis from broadcasting fees) globally. (Representative Image via Unsplash)

At $6.2 billion, IPL has recorded a three-fold jump in its broadcasting deal since 2017, contributing to the rise in the overall valuation.