Brands
Bajaj Allianz Life sets Guinness Record with Plankathon
Mumbai: Bajaj Allianz Life, one of the life insurers, organized the fourth edition of #Plankathon in Bengaluru’s Sri Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium to celebrate the Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) remarkable achievements with Chandrayaan and the Solar Mission, Aditya L1. The on-ground Plankathon event was a culmination of the Company’s hugely popular campaign #PlankForAces which invited Indians to come together to thank the brilliant scientists at ISRO, by uploading their video of holding the abdominal plank.
The Plankathon event in Bengaluru was graced by N Sudheer Kumar, director, of Capacity Building & Public Outreach, Indian Space Research Organisation HQ. Taapsee Pannu, one of the most dynamic female actors in Indian cinema, has several popular Hindi movies under her belt including Mission Mangal and most recently Dunki championed the entire Plankathon event on the ground. Chandramohan Mehra, chief marketing officer, of Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance, was also present along with Pannu. Guinness World Records adjudicator declared Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance as a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title holder for the largest online video album of people holding the abdominal plank position. #PlankforAces saw 5,194 videos being uploaded by people from all segments.
Addressing those present at Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance’s Plankathon 2024, N Sudheer Kumar, director, of Capacity Building & Public Outreach, Indian Space Research Organisation HQ, said, “This is indeed an extraordinary event that showcases the collective Indian spirit. With initiatives like #PlankForAces, Bajaj Allianz Life has brought together several thousands by igniting their passion for their country, as well as their motivation to stay fit and healthy. We appreciate and thank everyone who has participated for their efforts. Your wishes will further fuel our endeavour to make India proud, as we set our focus on the new frontiers within space research.”
Commenting on the success of #PlankForAces and setting a new world record for the Company, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance chief marketing officer Chandramohan Mehra said, “Bajaj Allianz Life Plankathon has evolved to be more than India’s flagship fitness initiative, that captures the sentiment of India. We are thankful to tens of thousands of participants who planked offline and online to express their admiration towards ISRO’s outstanding accomplishments that make us all immensely proud. Anything less than the world-record-breaking feat would have been inadequate to the applause ISRO deserves.”
Actor Taapsee Pannu and the lead female actor from Bollywood’s Mission Mangal commented, “The #PlankForAces movement was especially close to me and was equally inspirational as it was such a unique campaign on fitness that brought so many people together, as it was an opportunity to thank our scientists from ISRO! I congratulate Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance on their fourth edition of Plankathon and for their new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title I hope everyone who planked today, or uploaded their videos for #PlankForAces, continue their health and fitness movement and many more join as well for us to be a healthier and more vibrant community.”
Taapsee Pannu led the on-ground event of #PlankForAces of Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance not only because of her immediate association with the popular Indian movie Mission Mangal but also for the fervour and enthusiasm that the actor brings to all her roles. She has played the lead in several extraordinary movies across genres that either have a flavour of strong message for society, being independent, fitness or sports. These attributes made her the prime choice to lead the fourth edition of Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance’s flagship event Plankathon, which was designed to promote India’s uniqueness as well as health and fitness amongst the citizens.
Brands
Chinese Wok appoints Havas as integrated creative and media partner
Desi-Chinese chain bets on integrated creative and media muscle to power national expansion
MUMBAI: Chinese Wok is turning up the heat. India’s largest desi-Chinese qsr chain has appointed Havas Creative India and Arena Media as its integrated creative, social and digital media partner, sharpening its marketing firepower as it pushes past 260 outlets and eyes 500 stores across tier 1, 2 and 3 cities.
The mandate is sweeping. Havas Creative India and Arena Media, part of Havas Media Network India, will steer creative strategy, brand campaigns, social media, digital performance marketing and media planning and buying, orchestrating campaigns across atl, digital and in-store touchpoints. The brief: build a unified, platform-led brand system fit for national scale.
Founded in 2015 under Lenexis Foodworks, Chinese Wok has grown into the country’s largest Chinese qsr brand, with a footprint spanning more than 50 cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Lucknow and Hyderabad. Now it wants more. Much more.
Aayush Madhusudan Agrawal, founder and director, Lenexis Foodworks, said the shift marks an investment in integrated brand building that matches the company’s growth ambitions. “As Chinese Wok scales nationally, we are investing in integrated brand building that matches our growth ambition. Havas will partner with us in shaping the next chapter of our journey, where creativity, culture and commerce work seamlessly together.”
The brand is doubling down on its youth-first positioning, amplifying cultural properties such as Wok FM and Crush Hour while building a broader content slate. The pivot away from campaign-led bursts to a continuous, platform-driven narrative signals a more systematised approach to brand equity.
Vikas Iyer, marketing head, Lenexis Foodworks, framed the move as essential to winning over Gen Z. “Chinese Wok has always been a culture-first brand, and as we deepen our connect with Gen Z, integration becomes critical. With Havas, we aim to create sharper campaigns, stronger digital ecosystems, and measurable impact, ensuring the brand stays relevant, visible, and performance-driven at scale”.
On the creative front, Anupama Ramaswamy, managing director and chief creative officer, Havas Creative India, described the brand as “pure fire, fast, flavourful and completely plugged into pop culture”. Her ambition: “to bottle that energy into a living brand platform that fuels everything, from big campaigns to cheeky social chatter to irresistible in-store experiences.” The goal, she added, is “stronger brand love, deeper youth obsession, and work that doesn’t just look good but moves business. More heat. More heart. More hunger”.
Uday Mohan, coo, Havas Media India and Havas Play, said integration is the real unlock. “By bringing together creative, media, and performance under one cohesive vision, we aim to build a brand ecosystem that is culturally sharp, digitally agile, and built for scale”.
Lenexis Foodworks also operates The Momo Co. and Big Bowl, but Chinese Wok remains its flagship and growth engine . As competition intensifies in India’s fast-food sector, scale alone is no longer enough. Cultural fluency, data-driven performance and seamless brand experiences are the new battleground.
Chinese Wok is betting that with Havas in its corner, it can serve up all three — fast, loud and at national scale.
