AD Agencies
Colour Palette Films’ CaratLane Film wins best film at IAA Awards
Mumbai: ‘Postcards- Khul Ke Karo Express’ produced by Colour Palette Films for CaratLane and the agency BBH, was awarded the best film in the ‘Fashion and Accessories’ category at the prestigious International Advertising Association- (IAA) India Chapter- Awards this year.
The core of the film is the tender relationship between a mother and son. Colour Palette Films worked closely with the agency creatives on the nuances of the script and the characterisation before the production stage. Strong performances, sensitive storytelling, soft lighting, a bittersweet music track and a warm, textured visual palette bring the film alive, making it emotionally impactful for the viewers.
The film series, conceptualised by BBH India and directed by Arunima Sharma, showcases the unique feature of embedding video messages in CaratLane jewellery, revolutionising the gifting experience and providing customers with a novel way to express their emotions through jewellery. The Postcards campaign, which features three different heart-warming stories across three films, beautifully captures the essence of relationships and emotions, offering viewers a heartfelt experience that transcends traditional gifting.
“Khul Ke karo express” executive producer & Colour Palette Films Sayan founder Banerjee expressed his views on the project, saying, “The partnership with CaratLane proved to be a creatively fulfilling endeavour for our team. We were deeply moved by the emotional richness of the scripts, and we committed ourselves to vividly portraying these narratives. The music contributed significantly, and the use of the sarangi elevated the overall storytelling. The casting process was paramount for this film, which explores the profound emotional connection between a mother and her son. Komal Chhabria brought a touching softness, vulnerability, and authenticity to the role of the mother, while Eklavya’s portrayal of the son resonated with genuine subtlety, making his performance particularly impactful.”
Colour Palette Films is founded by Banerjee, a seasoned professional with over 12 years of experience in feature and advertising film production who has gained recognition for his exceptional work in producing commercials and feature films. With a track record of working with prestigious production houses like Excel Entertainment and Maddock Films, Sayan has line-produced major feature films such as Rock On 2, Finding Fanny, and Bangistaan.
His expertise extends to television commercials, having line-produced ads for renowned brands such as UC, Uber, Kerovit, Amazon, Muscle Blaze, Samsung and Horlicks. Sayan’s career highlights include collaborating with acclaimed producers like Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar and Dinesh Vijan- apart from producing successful advertising campaigns for brands like L’Oréal Paris, CaratLane- A Tanishq Partnership, HDFC Ergo, Vivo and many more, under his production house Colour Palette Films.
Sayan added, “My extensive experience in commercial Hindi film production really helped me understand the nuts and bolts of production early on, making my advertising production highly method-oriented, meticulous and cost-effective while not compromising on quality. The team you put together is one of the most important aspects of a producer’s job. We, at Colour Palette Films, believe in empowering the talent we hire to deliver their best and we strive to elevate the brand’s earlier films by a notable degree.”
His recent productions include the highly successful ‘Worth It’ campaign by L’Oréal Paris featuring Alia Bhatt and the recent Everyuth campaign. Colour Palette Films helped elevate the L’Oréal Paris campaign by putting together an exceptional team that delivered global standards of cinematography, production design and post-production, contributing to the campaign’s overall scale and sophistication.
AD Agencies
Publicis posts €4.19bn Q1 revenue, 6.4 per cent growth; backs FY outlook
Ad giant signals Q2 acceleration as AI and new deals power momentum
PARIS: Publicis Groupe continues to outperform the industry, delivering a strong start to 2026 under Chairman and CEO Arthur Sadoun. Despite a volatile global macro environment, the company has now outpaced the industry for nearly 20 consecutive quarters.
For Q1 2026, total revenue reached €4,191 million, up from €4,161 million last year, with organic growth of 6.4 per cent. Net revenue, which excludes pass-through costs, stood at €3,460 million, reflecting organic growth of 4.5 per cent.
Exchange rates had a negative impact of €268 million, mainly due to a weaker US dollar and pound sterling. Acquisitions, including Adge.AI and 160over90, contributed an additional €46 million.
Performance across regions was largely positive, with some variation:
- North America, accounting for 59 per cent of net revenue, grew 4.7 per cent
- Europe recorded growth of 3.9 per cent, led by the UK at 6.2 per cent, while France grew 1.6 per cent
- Asia Pacific posted 5.9 per cent growth, driven by China at 11.7 per cent
- Latin America grew 13.3 per cent
- Middle East and Africa declined 5.1 per cent due to geopolitical challenges
AI-powered marketing services, which now make up 86 per cent of the business, grew 5.6 per cent. However, the technology segment, representing 14 per cent of revenue, declined slightly as clients reduced spending on large-scale transformation projects.
Sharing his outlook, Publicis Groupe chairman and CEO Arthur Sadoun said, “Publicis had a very strong start to the year, outperforming the industry for almost 20 quarters in a row despite the volatile macro environment. Organic revenue growth reached 6.4%, leading to 4.5% in net and further increasing the gap with our peers.” He added that the company remains confident of delivering industry-leading performance. “We are confirming our industry-leading organic growth guidance of 4 to 5%, with the 4% rock solid, and a sequential organic growth acceleration in Q2 despite a higher comparable.”
Publicis continued its expansion with the acquisition of Adge.AI in March, followed by 160over90 in April to strengthen its sports and culture marketing capabilities.
Net financial debt stood at €1,156 million at the end of March, reflecting a seasonal shift from the net cash position at the end of 2025. Average net debt over the past twelve months was €1,035 million.
The company has reaffirmed its full-year guidance, expecting net revenue organic growth of 4 to 5 per cent in 2026. It also anticipates an operating margin slightly above 18.2 per cent and free cash flow of approximately €2.1 billion.
With expectations of stronger performance in the second quarter, Publicis remains well positioned to sustain its growth momentum.
