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MTV, Lenovo launch integrated social platform
MUMBAI: Lenovo has collaborated with MTV to launch Lenovo-MTV CO:LAB, an integrated social platform that will enable talented youths from seven countries – India, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand – to share stories about their communities through music.
Winning participants will connect and collaborate using their different skill sets in order to showcase their talents through an original MTV music video production relating to the theme of the ‘Pulse of the World”.
Leveraging the resources provided by Lenovo and MTV, the concept of the six-month platform is to enable Gen-Y in the seven countries to connect with like-minded individuals with different artistic skills across DJs, Vocalists/Instrumentalists, Film Makers or Motion Graphic Artists, where the winning talents across these four categories are determined by public votes through the Lenovo-MTV CO:LAB website and regional mentors.
The platform that will go across TV and online will be run simultaneously across the seven countries.
Building on Lenovo’s “For Those Who Do” brand campaign, and MTV’s deep knowledge of music, lifestyle and the Millennial generation, Lenovo-MTV CO:LAB will inspire and encourage audiences to take action, connect, collaborate and create music using technology.
To help support participants, Lenovo and MTV have assembled a panel of local and regional mentors, each of whom are established leading individuals in their respective areas of expertise. Mentors will play an important role throughout the entire campaign, sharing their valuable experience and knowledge in order to guide and inspire country and regional winners.
Acclaimed contemporary design and art collective, PHUNK and renowned international DJs, Brendon P (The DJ Dispensary) and Matty Wainwright (The DJ Dispensary) will act as regional mentors throughout the campaign, as the public vote for their favourite talent.
“Lenovo-MTV CO:LAB aims to inspire Millennials to take action and turn their dreams to reality,” said Lenovo Asia Pacific & Latin America VP Marketing and Communications Howie Lau. “Both Lenovo and MTV are innovative companies, with dynamic brand personalities, that are focused on the Millennial generation who don’t just dream about achieving, but go out there and do. We chose to collaborate with MTV because it is the iconic destination for global Millennials and represents the sweet spot for music and entertainment for this unique target audience.”
“We take pride in making the right connections as we engage with the Millennials, the youth today. The collaboration with Lenovo on Lenovo-MTV CO:LAB, reflects a clear brand synergy between us as we continue to promote and reflect local cultural tastes and music talents. MTV’s wealth of research has shown that technology is an enabler for our audience. Technology doesn’t make Millennials who they are, but it lets them be who they are. Lenovo-MTV CO:LAB is a great initiative that shows how we make that happen as we bring together technology and creative, talented young people,” said Viacom International Media Networks Asia VP of MTV & Comedy Central Brands Tan Sian Ju.
In order to engage and excite audiences across the seven countries, a full-scale promotional campaign will be run by Lenovo and MTV throughout this collaboration. This will culminate in MTV airing the final music video as a showcase of the winners’ talents for a period of eight weeks over the participating countries. In addition to having access to mentors, attending a five-day workshop and being part of a regional promotional campaign, regional finalists will also have the opportunity to be profiled in local and regional media.
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
