MAM
European Commission to liberalise ad rules for TV channels
MUMBAI: The European Commission (EC) has announced a proposal that will allow broadcasters in the European Union (EU) to use product placement in their shows and give them greater flexibility on timing commercial breaks.
The ‘TV without Frontiers’ directive proposes modernised rules for digital era TV and TV-like services A proposal has been tabled by the European Commission today to update the EU’s 1989 directive, to keep pace with rapid technological and market developments in Europe’s audiovisual sector.
In line with the principle of better regulation, the proposal aims to reduce the regulatory burden on Europe’s providers of TV and TV-like services and to give more flexibility for financing audiovisual content by new forms of advertising.
The proposal also aims to create a level playing field for all companies that offer TV-like services, irrespective of the technology used to deliver them (e.g. broadcast, high-speed broadband, third generation mobiles).
The commission proposes replacing disparate national rules on protection of minors, against incitement to racial hatred and against surreptitious advertising with a basic, EU-wide minimum standard of protection for audiovisual on demand services.
This new policy approach is aimed at accelerating the advent of a seamless single market for TV and TV-like services and promote a strong and creative European content industry.
Information Society and Media Commissioner Viviane Reding says, “My aim is for Europe’s audiovisual content industry to flourish under one of the most modern and flexible set of rules in the world. The new rules should open up multimedia opportunities, boosting competition and consumer choice, while promoting public interest objectives such as the protection of minors and cultural diversity. Existing rules, which have been made redundant by technological and market developments, must be abolished to take a decisive step towards audiovisual media without frontiers in Europe’s single market.”
The new directive distinguishes between linear services i.e. traditional TV, the Internet and mobile phones and non-linear ones, such as on-demand programming. The new rules apply to the linear services, while non-linear services only have a few rules to abide by: protecting minors, preventing incitement to racial hatred and outlawing surreptitious advertising.
On the advertising front, broadcasters will no longer be required to allow at least 20 minutes between ad breaks. However, the ceiling of 12 minutes of ad time per hour will not be changed. New forms of advertising, such as split screen, virtual and interactive, would be allowed under the new directive, as would product placement, except in news, current affairs and kids’ shows. Viewers will have to be informed at the start of a programme if it contains product placement.
Brands
Champions again: How India’s brands roared after the T20 World Cup win
From food delivery apps to dating platforms, Indian brands wasted no time riding the wave of India’s historic back-to-back T20 World Cup victory over New Zealand
Ahmedabad: On March 8, 2026, which also happened to be International Women’s Day, India scripted history by clinching the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup for the second consecutive time, defeating New Zealand in a thrilling final. As fireworks lit up stadiums and streets across the country, another kind of celebration erupted simultaneously: India’s marketing machine kicked into overdrive.
Within minutes of the final whistle, brands from every sector, tech giants, quick commerce players, streaming platforms, and even a condom brand, were racing to craft the cleverest, most culturally resonant posts. Here’s a breakdown of how India Inc. celebrated the nation’s historic win.
Zomato: The Repeat Order
Zomato, India’s ubiquitous food delivery app, kept things refreshingly simple. Playing on its own product language, the brand posted: “Repeat order delivered 🏆 #INDvsNZ.” It was short, punchy, and perfectly on-brand, a nod to India’s back-to-back title, framed through the lens of what Zomato does best: delivering again and again.
Netflix India: Now Watching History
Netflix India leaned into its streaming identity with a clever checklist format: “2007 ✅ / 2024 ✅ / 2026 ✅ / NOW WATCHING: HISTORY BEING MADE 🇮🇳💪.” By bookending India’s three T20 World Cup victories as a watchlist completed in real-time, Netflix framed the nation’s triumph as unmissable content, the kind of story only live cricket can tell.
Reliance Jio: Typing the Win
Telecom giant Reliance Jio delivered a wordplay masterclass: “India typed ‘WIN’ in Black Caps today. 🏆” The double entendre, referencing both the act of typing in capital letters and the Black Caps (New Zealand’s cricket team), was crisp, witty, and instantly shareable. It was a reminder that in the age of social media, the best brand moments often come in a single sentence.
Google India: Teen Bhai
Google India took a more data-forward approach, posting “Teen bhai… 🔥” alongside a screenshot of Google Search’s AI Mode highlighting India’s three half-centurions in the final, Abhishek Sharma (52 off 21 balls), Sanju Samson (89 off 46 balls), and Ishan Kishan (54 off 25 balls). It was a subtle showcase of its AI search capabilities wrapped in patriotic pride. “Teen bhai” (meaning “three brothers”) referenced the trio of batting heroes who powered India to a massive total of 255/5.
Zepto: The Women’s Day Double Whammy
Quick commerce platform Zepto scored the most culturally savvy moment of the day by merging two celebrations into one. Earlier on Women’s Day, Zepto had posted: “Women’s Day gift idea: World Cup trophy 🏆 #WomensDay2026.” After India’s win, they quote-retweeted their own post with the simple reply: “Gift delivered 🇮🇳💜.” It was meta, timely, and perfectly executed, riding both national pride and the Women’s Day conversation in a single stroke.
CashKaro: They Tasted So Good, India Ate Them Twice
Cashback platform CashKaro went for bold visual storytelling with a striking creative: a tiger sitting over the T20 World Cup trophy with a plate of kiwi fruit, accompanied by the tagline, “They tasted so good, India ate them twice.” The use of the tiger as India’s symbol, paired with a cheeky jab at New Zealand’s kiwi identity, made this one of the most talked-about creatives of the day.
Manforce: Round 2 Always Gives the Best Satisfaction
In perhaps the most audacious play of the lot, condom brand Manforce posted a creative featuring the T20 World Cup trophy against a stadium backdrop with the copy: “Guess Round 2 always gives THE BEST SATISFACTION.” The innuendo-laden post, hashtagged #BackToBackChampions, was quintessential Manforce, a brand well-known for consistently using cricket moments to drive cheeky, double-meaning campaigns that generate massive engagement.
Parle-G: Pehle Dip Se Aakhri Cup Tak
Beloved biscuit brand Parle-G went the emotional, illustrative route with a vibrant artwork showing Indian cricketers lifting the World Cup trophy superimposed onto a giant Parle-G biscuit. The tagline, “Pehle dip se aakhri cup tak / Parle-G humesha saath rahega” (From the first dip to the last cup, Parle-G will always be with you), was a masterstroke of nostalgia marketing, connecting the simple act of dunking a biscuit in tea to an entire nation’s cricket journey.
Domino’s India: No Kiwi on This Pizza
Domino’s India served up a deliciously savage quip: “India mein pineapple on pizza chala nahi, Kiwi toh kya hi chalta 😜🏆 #Champions #India.” By invoking the age-old pineapple-on-pizza debate, Domino’s made a clever statement: if Indians won’t accept pineapple on pizza, there’s certainly no room for the Kiwis (New Zealand) either. It was the kind of post that got fans and foodies alike sharing in equal measure.
JioHotstar: History Repeated, History Defeated
As the official streaming home of the ICC T20 World Cup, JioHotstar had the most at stake and arguably the biggest platform. The brand’s post was thunderous in its simplicity: “HISTORY REPEATED, HISTORY DEFEATED!” A bold, all-caps declaration that served as both a celebration of India’s second consecutive title and a subtle flex for the broadcaster that streamed every ball of it.
Tinder India: It’s a Match Again
Dating app Tinder India proved that no brand is too far removed from cricket fever with a perfectly on-brand line: “India just matched with the world cup again 💙🇮🇳.” By using its own core product concept, a “match”, to describe India’s World Cup triumph, Tinder struck a note that was both clever and effortlessly native to the platform’s voice.
Snabbit: Sabko Dho Diya
Home services startup Snabbit rounded out the celebrations with a pun-driven visual: an Indian jersey hanging out to dry, with the copy “Sabko dho diya, ab champions hawa khayenge,” roughly translating to “Washed everyone clean, now the champions ride the breeze.” The laundry-meets-cricket metaphor (“dho diya” means both “to wash” and “to thrash completely”) was a crowd-pleaser that perfectly captured the irreverent, punchy spirit of Indian moment marketing.
The bigger picture
What these posts collectively demonstrate is the extraordinary maturity of Indian digital marketing. Brands no longer simply congratulate, they connect their core product identity to the cultural moment in ways that feel earned rather than opportunistic. In the space of under an hour, the same victory inspired a food app to talk about repeat orders, a dating app to talk about matches, a laundry startup to talk about washing opponents, and a telecom giant to make a pun about capital letters.
The convergence of India’s World Cup win with International Women’s Day added yet another dimension, as Zepto demonstrated brilliantly, showing that the best brands are always watching for the intersection of multiple cultural conversations.
India’s cricketers gave the country a night to remember. And India’s marketers, it seems, were ready and waiting.
