MAM
Dulux rolls out ad campaign for ‘Velvet Touch’
MUMBAI: AkzoNobel, the maker of Dulux Paints, is launching a brand campaign to promote its new product, ‘Velvet Touch Pearl Glo‘.
The new ad campaign has been conceptualised and created by McCann Erickson.
Dulux, Akzo Nobel India category manager interiors- brand and digital Pushkar Jain said, “The campaign aims to build a distinct positioning for Dulux Velvet Touch Pearl Glo in the premium, super luxury paints category – as a product that catalyses success in life through the transformative power of colour.”
The campaign, which will feature across both, print and television, has Farhan Akhtar essaying the role of a man who has evolved across many genres of creativity and is looking to achieve more.
The campaign will be in English, Hindi, Tamil, Bengali and Malayalam.
In the ad film, Farhan Akhtar is portraying a Sutradhar – taking audience through stories of people having experienced a certain level of success in life.
According to the company, he derives the credibility of being a story-teller (Sutradhar) from his own story – of being a successful actor, an equally respected director and a talented singer. A man with a velvet touch, always being inspired to do more and to express his creative rhythms, the colours of his multi-faceted personality.
Three distinct human stories are narrated by Farhan – each capturing a different manifestation of renewal and transformation. In each, the power of colour is showcased in its physiological, psychological and philosophical dimensions to reflect the glow of success.
McCann Worldgroup India executive chairman, CEO and chief creative officer Prasoon Joshi said, “The creative challenge for us was to interpret the global Dulux positioning of ‘Renewal‘ in the Indian cultural environment, for which we created the communication which manifests how the glow of Velvet Touch on a person‘s walls inspires the person to keep striving, thus making the brand a catalyst for renewal in the person‘s life. Farhan Akhtar epitomizes renewal where his own journey is one of constantly reinventing himself and therefore he proved to be an ideal ambassador for the brand as well as the philosophy.”
Brands
Sapphire Foods FY26 revenue rises to Rs 3,125 crore, posts loss
Q4 revenue at Rs 792 crore, FY26 loss at Rs 32 crore amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: If growth is on the menu, profitability seems to have taken a brief detour. Sapphire Foods India reported a steady rise in topline for FY26, even as rising costs weighed on profitability. Revenue from operations grew to Rs 3,125 crore for the year ended March 31, 2026, up from Rs 2,882 crore in FY25. However, the company swung to a loss, reporting a net loss of Rs 32 crore for FY26, compared to a profit of Rs 17 crore in the previous year. Total income for the year stood at Rs 3,153 crore, while total expenses climbed to Rs 3,167 crore, reflecting pressure across key cost heads.
In the March quarter, revenue came in at Rs 792 crore, compared to Rs 711 crore in the same period last year. The company reported a quarterly net loss of Rs 13 crore, against a profit of Rs 2 crore a year earlier.
Cost pressures remained visible across operations. Material costs rose to Rs 995 crore for FY26, while employee expenses increased to Rs 428 crore. Other expenses, the largest component, stood at Rs 1,229 crore, underscoring the impact of store operations and expansion-related spends.
Depreciation and amortisation expenses also climbed to Rs 392 crore for the year, reflecting continued investments in store infrastructure and growth.
At the operating level, the company reported a loss before tax of Rs 37 crore for FY26, compared to a profit of Rs 23 crore in FY25. Exceptional items added Rs 24 crore to the cost burden during the year.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 3,256 crore as of March 31, 2026, up from Rs 3,041 crore a year earlier, indicating ongoing expansion. Net worth stood at Rs 1,389 crore.
Despite profitability pressures, operating cash flow remained resilient at Rs 507 crore, highlighting underlying business strength and demand stability.
The numbers paint a familiar picture in the quick-service restaurant space, growth continues to be served hot, but margins are still finding their footing.
