Brands
ZooZoos as TV stars this IPL!
MUMBAI: Those waiting with bated breath for the Indian Premiere League (IPL) have one more reason to hoot. The funny eggheads of the balloon bellies, gibberish and idiosyncratic ways will be back and how!
Vodafone’s ZooZoos, which first appeared during IPL 2009, will take charge for the fifth time this season. This time round, they will be seen participating in television shows of different hues even as they peddle the mobile services provider’s value-added products.
The latest campaign, also created by Ogilvy & Mather, comprises 10 TVCs depicting the ZooZoos in a creative and engaging manner; each promoting a unique Vodafone product/service.
O&M national creative director Rajiv Rao, who, along with his team, started working on the creatives in March this year, said, “Television has become a part of popular culture so we thought of using it as the background. However, it is a challenge for the whole team to keep reinventing ZooZoos and whether we succeed in conveying the brand’s message through these films.”
The first two TVCs releasing on 16 April revolve around two product propositions of Vodafone – Choose your Number and Chhota Credit – and feature a reality TV show and a quiz show, respectively.
Will this result in a ZooZoo overkill? “The street hawkers started selling ZooZoo merchandises at least a month back. This is proof enough of how much people love these characters. On the digital front, the ZooZoos have millions of fans and since they come once a year, I think it’s quite the opposite of overdose,” said Rao.
According to Vodafone India brand communications and insights senior vice president, Ronita Mitra, “Like every year, this year too, Vodafone India has planned a high decibel 360-degree campaign around IPL. The ZooZoos are back during IPL 2014 to communicate Vodafone’s differentiated customer experience that offers unique products and services to make the customer’s life simple and convenient.”
Mitra added that apart from TV, Vodafone’s campaign during IPL 2014 would be supported by OOH, digital and other mediums.
Brands
UltraTech Cement appoints Jayant Dua as managing director
Dua will succeed K. C. Jhanwar after his term ends in December 2026
MUMBAI: UltraTech Cement, the flagship cement arm of the Aditya Birla Group, has elevated Jayant Dua as managing director, effective 1 April, 2026.
The company’s board also approved his appointment as additional director, managing director and key managerial personnel, effective 1 January, 2027, following the completion of the current managing director K C Jhanwar’s term on 31 December, 2026, according to a regulatory filing.
Dua will serve as managing director for a four-year term from 1 January, 2027 to 31 December, 2030.
A veteran executive with more than 37 years of professional experience, Dua joined the Aditya Birla Group’s cement business in 1996 and spent nearly a decade in various functional and leadership roles.
Over the past two decades, he has held several profit-and-loss and chief executive responsibilities across multiple group businesses, including insulators, insurance, Century Cement and the chlor-alkali segment. In 2023, he was elevated to lead the group’s renewables and textiles businesses.
Within the group, Dua has received several internal honours, including the chairman’s individual award for exceptional contribution in 2002, the outstanding leader award in 2009 and the leader of leaders recognition in 2022.
He holds an engineering degree from Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, an MBA from International Management Institute and has completed the advanced management programme at Harvard Business School.
