MAM
Havas Media India makes senior digital appointments
MUMBAI: Havas Media India which has added a slew of wins to the kitty in 2013 has strengthened its ‘digital’ segment with two key senior appointments.
In tune with the group’s integrated structure, Havas Media India’s full services digital portfolio includes digital media planning and buying, display advertising, digital direct response, search engine marketing, SEO, pay-per-click, social media, as well as ‘Mobext’ for mobile solutions and performance marketing using data and analytics.
To establish itself further in India, the company has appointed Sumit Kumar as General Manager; while S.V. Sunilkumar has joined as Business Head Digital-Mumbai, whose key responsibility will be to service the existing digital clientele in Mumbai as well as new business development.
Speaking on the appointments, Havas Media Group, India & South Asia CEO Anita Nayyar said, “Digital is a focal point for us and these appointments will further consolidate our attempt to offer the latest digital services to our clients. Both Sumit and Sunil are talented and committed digital players – we are glad to have them on board.”
“Sunil and Sumit are mandated to entrenching and expanding the Havas Digital footprint in Mumbai and India”, added Havas Media India MD-Digital Anurag Bhatnagar.
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Havas Media Group, India & South Asia CEO Anita Nayyar
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Havas Media India MD digital Anurag Bhatnagar
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“Mobext not only provides mobile solutions to engage the customer but can also help brands make their sales force more effective with our enterprise solutions – a unique proposition in itself. The profile is a huge challenge and opportunity to create unique experiences and expand the Mobext offering in India”, explained Sumit Kumar, General Manager, Mobext India
Business Head Digital-Mumbai S.V. Sunilkumar commented, “As a digital enthusiast, it is always exciting to work with an agency whose mantra is ‘Digital at its core’. Havas Media has been on an aggressive growth path and again it is good to be where the action is. I look forward to creating some of this action”.
Sumit Kumar, with over eight years of leadership experience in business development, strategic partnerships, product management and corporate sales, was earlier leading the performance and app advertising business for InMobi India. Clients worked with include – Tata DOCOMO, Vodafone, Sony Entertainment, Disney, OLX, Viacom 18, Tencent, AOL, Cleartip , Hungama, Nazara, Opera and Times Group.
Sunilkumar with 18 years of media experience was working with Infosys as a Principal Consultant and a part of the core product development team at BrandEdge (the global cloud based digital marketing platform). Also, as digital media head at DDB Mudra, he has serviced clients including LIC, Star TV, McDonalds, IDBI Bank, India First Life Insurance, etc.
MAM
Star Sports under fire for ‘cringe’ India–SA Super 8 promo
Broadcaster accused of arrogance and disrespect as fans slam Super 8 promotion
AHMEDABAD: Star Sports is facing a wave of criticism after its latest promotional campaign for the India–South Africa T20 World Cup Super 8 match triggered a fierce social media backlash, quickly dubbed “Cupcakegate”.
The advertisement, released this week, hinges on a cupcake metaphor that many viewers have condemned as patronising and disrespectful. In the clip, an Indian supporter mockingly offers a pink cupcake to a South African fan, a visual jibe widely interpreted as portraying the Proteas as a soft, easily beaten opponent.
The backlash has been swift across platforms such as X and Reddit, with fans and commentators accusing the broadcaster of tone-deaf bravado at a crucial stage of the tournament. The criticism is sharpened by the context: both India and South Africa arrive in the Super 8s unbeaten, undermining any suggestion of a one-sided contest.
Online, the cupcake symbol has been read as carrying multiple barbs. Some users argue it alludes to South African president Cyril Ramaphosa’s domestic nickname, while others see it as recycling the long-running “chokers” trope associated with South Africa in ICC tournaments. The casting choice has also drawn scrutiny, with viewers noting the physical disparity between the actors playing the two fans, which critics described as a cheap attempt to belittle the opposition.
Even Indian supporters have joined the pile-on. Many warned that such chest-thumping marketing risks “jinxing” the team, pointing to past tournaments where aggressive campaigns preceded unexpected defeats.
Star Sports is no stranger to rivalry-led advertising, having struck gold with its earlier “Mauka Mauka” series. But analysts say the cupcake campaign misreads a fanbase that has grown less tolerant of overtly mocking narratives and more attuned to sporting parity and respect.
India and South Africa meet on Sunday, 22 February, at the 132,000-seat Narendra Modi Stadium. With South Africa securing their Super 8 berth through a commanding win over the UAE, the fixture is widely billed as a heavyweight clash, not the walkover the ad appears to suggest.
