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AOL launches Indian portal aol.in, promotion campaign to kick off by mid-May
BANGALORE: ‘Get on the bridge’ is the AOL tagline, a bridge that connects people. AOL, a division of Time Warner, the world’s leading media company, today announced the launch of www.AOL.in, a website that offers e-mail, AOL Messenger, mobile services, videos, news, sports, entertainment among other features. AOL.in is the first service worldwide to offer AOL’s next-generation e-mail service. AOL’s e-mail includes unlimited storage, leading safety and spam protections, and mobile access. |
A promotional campaign with creatives by Saatchi & Saatchi will kick off by 10th or 15th of May according AOL sources. Print and outdoor media, along with selected portals such as Rediff, ndtv will be used initially, though Bangalore already has a few AOL billboards promoting AOL. Going regional with regional language content is on the anvil according to AOL LLC President & COO Ron Grant. The media buying is by Madison. Television commercials are not on AOL’s Indian avatar immediate horizon.
Among the features of the new www.AOL.in Web site: AOL’s e-mail service will have unlimited storage, spam blocking, and security protections against viruses. The AOL Messenger product has features like offline messages, picture sharing, personalization, grouped messaging and simultaneous multiple IDs, an integrated Google search that offers users the power of the Internet’s leading search engine without leaving the site. The other features include: Video content in many channels with a superior video experience. News and entertainment channels include Bollywood, CityGuide, Cricket, Education, Gurus, Hollywood, International Music, News and Sports. |
AOL is also launching a full mobile communications and infotainment suite that includes: WAP Mail that allows users to access their AOL Mail on their mobile device. A service extending AOL Messenger onto users’ mobile devices via SMS. Downloads like wallpaper, ringtones, games, animations, and videos. GPRS services are available on wap.aol.in. SMS services will run on the short-code 51515. |
AOL.in has received a good response from the advertisement fraternity according to AOL LLC vp and chief spokesman Andrew Weinstein. ICICI Credit Cards, futurebazaar.com are some of the few Indian brand names that are already visible on the portal, along with a few from the US. 
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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.
