Ad Campaigns
Equitas SFB releases Circle of Life campaign’s new video
Mumbai: Equitas Small Finance Bank unveils the inspiring journey of Virumandi, a beacon of determination and resilience under the ‘Circle of Life’ campaign. The video exemplifies his spirit of unwavering dedication and the belief that ‘work is worship’, while showcasing his life’s transcending challenges.
Starting as a mechanic in Madurai, his aspirations were met with setbacks when he struggled to meet the financial obligations of a loan obtained from a traditional financial institution, ultimately losing his cherished vehicle. Undeterred by adversity, he embraced the ethos of hard work as his guiding principle, determined to provide for his family in the face of adversity. As his unwavering efforts came to light, Equitas Small Finance Bank joined his journey to resolve the hardships as a partner in financial support as well as overall prosperity.
“Virumandi’s journey epitomizes the essence of resilience and determination,” remarked Equitas SFB Sr VP & head – marketing Vignesh Murali. “His unwavering commitment to hard work and his partnership with Equitas underscores our mission to empower individuals to achieve their dreams, no matter the obstacles they face. We are honoured to stand by Virumandi on his journey from the garage to greatness. Moreover, it’s the persistence of people like Virumandi who are our driving force to actualize financial inclusion and exemplify our commitment to go ‘Beyond Banking’.”
With the assistance of commercial and home loans from Equitas, Virumandi’s trajectory shifted dramatically. From the depths of uncertainty, he rose to own a fleet of five large commercial vehicles, including a remarkable array of 10-wheeler, six-wheeler, and 12-wheeler vehicles. Furthermore, his perseverance did not only transform his life but also enriched the lives of his loved ones.
The story of Virumandi, featured in Equitas Small Finance Bank’s ‘Circle of Life’ series, serves as a testament to the transformative endurance and the unwavering spirit of individuals determined to defy the odds.
The video highlighting Virumandi’s extraordinary story premiered on 9 February 2024, across Equitas Small Finance Bank’s social media platforms.
NATIONAL: Amazon Ads has laid out a sharply tech-led vision for the advertising industry in 2026, arguing that artificial intelligence, streaming TV and creator partnerships will combine to turn brand building into a more precise, performance-driven business.
At the heart of the shift, the company says, is the fusion of AI with Amazon’s vast trove of shopping, browsing and streaming signals, allowing advertisers to move beyond blunt reach metrics to campaigns designed around real customer behaviour.
“The future of advertising is not about reaching more people, but the right people with messages that resonate,” said Amazon Ads India head and vice president Girish Prabhu. “By combining AI with deep customer insights, we help brands move from broadcasting campaigns to having meaningful conversations wherever audiences spend their time.”
One of the biggest changes, according to Amazon Ads, will be the collapse of the wall between media planning and creative development. Retail media, powered by first-party data, is increasingly shaping everything from brand discovery to final purchase, pushing marketers to design campaigns around audience insight rather than internal instinct.
AI is also moving from a support tool to a creative engine. Agentic AI, which automates and accelerates production, is expected to make high-quality creative accessible even to small businesses, compressing weeks of work into hours and giving challengers the ability to compete with larger brands on speed and scale.
Behind the scenes, AI-driven analytics will take on a bigger role in campaign optimisation, identifying patterns, spotting opportunities and recommending actions that would previously have required teams of analysts.
Streaming TV is another big battleground. With India’s video streaming audience now above 600 million and connected TV users at 129.2 million in 2025, advertisers are set to treat streaming not just as a branding channel but as a performance engine, measured increasingly by sales, sign-ups and bookings rather than just reach.
Finally, Amazon Ads sees creators and contextual advertising reshaping how brands tell stories. Creators will act less like influencers and more like long-term partners, while scene-aware ads on streaming platforms will allow brands to insert hyper-relevant offers into the flow of what viewers are watching.
Taken together, Amazon Ads argues, these shifts mark a move towards advertising that is both more human and more measurable, where AI handles the complexity, and creativity does the persuading.
