MAM
MTV forays into mobile handsets and exclusive music with Micromax
NEW DELHI: Can one get rid of pesky mosquitoes by using a mobile handset as a mosquito repellant?
Apparently yes, if one goes by the claims of Micromax and the MTV music channel, which will introduce a buzzing sound that the blood-suckers are unable to tolerate and so will keep away from the person holding the handset.
MTV, which has forayed into everything from shoes to credit cards, has now tied up with Micromax to launch a new range of mobile handsets that among other things contains a range of the best music on 3-D surround sound.
The handset is priced at a maximum retail price of Rs 5,000 but Micromax executive director Rahul Sharma said it would be sold at the market operating price of Rs 3,750. The instrument will have hand-picked Indian and international music from MTV, high fidelity earphones with noise cancellation, and a 1.3 MP camera. The instrument has the facility of long-life battery, dual sim and will be launched by March 2010. A total of five instruments will be introduced during the year.
VIACOM 18 VP (communications and consumer products) Sandeep Dahiya said the agreement with MTV was on a year-to-year licensing deal but extendable. He said royalty will also be paid by Micromax on every set sold by it, though these will be on ‘special rates’. He said the instruments would also be sold at stores selling MTV products and music.
Sharma said requisite permissions had been taken from Health authorities by the R&D team before installing the mosquito repellant sound in the set.
MAM
Lego brings Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Vinicius together
Campaign clocks 314 million views ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 buzz.
MUMBAI: Four legends, one frame and not a single tackle in sight. Lego has pulled off a crossover few thought possible, uniting Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior in a single campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 only this time, they’re building dreams brick by brick.
Titled “Everyone wants a piece”, the campaign features the quartet assembling a Lego version of the World Cup trophy, before placing miniature versions of themselves atop it, a playful nod to football’s ultimate prize. Shared widely across social media, the ad carries a pointed disclaimer: it is not AI-generated, a subtle but telling signal in an era where even reality is often questioned.
The numbers tell their own story. The campaign has already crossed 314 million views on Instagram across the players’ accounts, with fans hailing it as a rare, almost nostalgic moment particularly for the reunion of Messi and Ronaldo, whose last shared campaign ahead of the 2022 World Cup became one of the platform’s most-liked posts.
Beyond the film, Lego is extending the play with exclusive, player-themed sets tied to each of the four stars, part of a broader football-led programme designed to ride the global momentum building towards 2026. The idea, as echoed by the players themselves, leans into the parallels between football and play experimentation, creativity, failure, and triumph.
Messi described the sets as a way to bring on-pitch moments into an imaginative, hands-on world, while Ronaldo called the transformation into a Lego figure a rare honour, blending sport with storytelling. Vinícius, meanwhile, struck a more personal note, recalling childhood moments of building with Lego and framing creativity as a universal language that transcends borders.
The timing is no accident. With the 2026 World Cup set to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and featuring an expanded 48-team format, global anticipation is already building. Argentina, led by Messi, will enter as defending champions, adding another layer of intrigue.
For Lego, the campaign does more than celebrate football, it taps into its mythology. Because when icons become figurines and rivalries turn into play, the beautiful game finds a new kind of pitch. one built, quite literally, by hand.
