Brands
Sweet sleighs and sugar highs as Sweet Truth bakes up Christmas cheer
MUMBAI: If Christmas had a flavour this year, it would probably taste like chocolate, cream and a generous slice of theatre. Sweet Truth, the dessert brand from Rebel Foods, has kicked off its festive campaign, Sweeten The Season 25, blending seasonal indulgence with a playful storytelling twist that goes beyond the box. Known for its Western dessert repertoire, the brand is leaning into Christmas not just as a menu moment, but as an experience designed to travel from kitchens to screens and straight into inboxes.
The festive spread rolls out across more than 350 locations nationwide and brings together a familiar mix of comfort and celebration. The line-up includes a classic Plum Cake, a Red Velvet Yule Log dressed for the season, a rich Chocolate Yule Log, a creamy Tiramisu Cake and a Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake aimed squarely at unabashed chocolate loyalists. The idea is simple: desserts that feel familiar enough to share, yet festive enough to mark the occasion.
What sets the campaign apart, however, is Santa stepping out of folklore and into the feed. As part of the activation, Santa makes appearances across Sweet Truth’s social platforms, reading customer messages, replying to DMs and popping up in playful behind-the-scenes content. Every order arrives with a letter from Santa, inviting customers to write back with a wish, whether whimsical, heartfelt or dessert-related.
Rebel Foods CMO Nishant Kedia says the intention was to go beyond seasonal sales and create something more personal. The campaign, he notes, is built around memory-making rather than just menu drops, with Santa positioned as a character who shows up not only in stories but also in kitchens and conversations.
The response has already taken shape in the form of letters pouring in from customers, sharing everything from everyday joys to long-held hopes. Sweet Truth plans to keep collecting these messages through the season, capturing moments, acknowledging wishes and spotlighting select stories as the campaign unfolds.
On December 25, the brand will release a ‘Wishes Granted’ list, revealing the surprises Santa delivered along the way. Adding another layer to the experience is a ‘Santa’s Sweet Office’ geotag on Google Maps, inviting users to virtually drop in, leave a wish and follow the festive trail online.
In a season crowded with offers and ornaments, Sweet Truth’s Christmas play leans on something simpler: a bit of imagination, a lot of sugar, and the reminder that sometimes, the sweetest part of the season is being invited into the story.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
