MAM
Acer launches TVC with Hrithik Roshan
NEW DELHI: Acer India today launched its new TVC campaign across 54 electronic channels with its brand ambassador Hrithik Roshan shown using Acer laptops.
The TV commercial has been conceptualised by BBH and shot by film director AbhinayDeo of ‘Delhi Belly‘ fame.
The campaign demonstrates the power of Acer laptops in a simple yet efficient manner. In the TVC, which was shot through a stripped down Red Epic camera attached to an Acer Laptop, Hrithik describes the features of Acer‘s new range of laptops – Ultra Light, Ultra Fast and with Dolby Sound. The entire TVC is a testament to the power of Acer‘s laptops, which, as Hrithik says, is powerful enough to create this film.
On the TVC, Acer India MD Harish Kohli said: “The innovative method used to film this TVC is groundbreaking and proof of the power an Acer laptop holds under its chassis. I believe that this TVC will give the audience a very good idea of how powerful our products are. Hrithik is a great sport and I am glad that he agreed to go along with this unconventional method of filmmaking.”
BBH managing partner Partha Sinha, who developed the TVC campaign, said: “When we delved deep into the Acer brand and the products, we figured out a simple thing. Acer can provide the most ‘unobvious‘ and surprising solutions. We wanted to challenge the obvious in communication and created a film using the laptops; not a claim, but the proof of the pudding. This is the true nature of the brand – do things which are seemingly impossible.”
The TVC gives the audience a demonstration of the capabilities of Acer products. Hence, Acer has now even explored filmmaking beyond its limits. The making of the TVC will be available on YouTube soon.
MAM
Deepfakes target women in 93 per cent of cases, report finds
Pi-labs study shows 900 per cent rise in female-focused synthetic media; India sees 60 per cent jump in cybercrime complaints.
MUMBAI: Deepfakes aren’t just fooling cameras, they’re hitting women hardest, turning pixels into a new kind of weapon. A new report from creator intelligence platform Pi-labs has revealed that nearly 93 per cent of deepfake victims are women, with deepfake content targeting females surging 900% in recent years. The findings paint synthetic media as a fast-escalating digital threat with a stark gendered impact.
In India, cybercrime complaints involving women rose from about 50,000 in 2024 to nearly 80,000 by 2026, an increase of roughly 60 per cent in just two years. Almost 98 per cent of deepfake pornography is aimed at women, often powered by face-swapping apps and bot networks that disproportionately target females, including school-age girls. Victims typically fall in the 18–30 age group, with Bengaluru reporting a growing share of cases.
Globally, 62 per cent of deepfake abuse cases involving women go unreported due to stigma, in India, over one-third of women facing online harassment take no action, and many reduce their digital presence after abuse. Close to 33 per cent of women remain unaware of protective laws.
City-level trends show Bengaluru leading with nearly 30 per cent of complaints, followed by Hyderabad (14 per cent), Mumbai (13 per cent), Chennai and Kolkata (5 per cent each), and Delhi (3 per cent).
Pi-labs, CEO and founder Anukush Tiwari said, “AI is one of the most powerful technologies of our time, but like every powerful tool, it reflects the intent of those who use it. We are witnessing a growing trust deficit in digital spaces, where identity can be manipulated within minutes and reputations can be damaged overnight.”
Image morphing and deepfake videos remain the most common forms of misuse. The report also notes a new trend: fully AI-generated female personas (not based on real individuals) gaining high engagement on social platforms, raising questions about digital credibility.
Detection remains challenging due to widespread generative tools and rogue creators. Industry estimates suggest over 5,000 face-swap tools and more than 1,000 voice-cloning applications are accessible online.
pi-labs offers pi-authentify, an AI-driven detection system that scans media for generative markers and provides authenticity scores, as well as Namokavach, a verification portal delivering confidential assessments within two working days. The Payal gaming case was resolved using pi-authentify’s forensic analysis.
The report urges minimising digital footprints and adopting detection tools to limit replication risks. It frames the gendered impact of synthetic media as an urgent digital safety issue requiring coordinated action from individuals, platforms and technology providers.
In a world where faces can be borrowed in seconds, the real crime isn’t just creation, it’s the silence that follows, and women are paying the heaviest price.
