MAM
Lakmé launches SPF infused makeup range with ‘I Earned It’ campaign
Lakmé 9to5 Hya Beach Edit blends sun protection, hydration and colour.
MUMBAI: If the Indian summer insists on turning up the heat, beauty brands are learning to keep their cool. Lakmé has unveiled a new campaign titled “I Earned It” to introduce the Lakmé 9to5 Hya Beach Edit, its first makeup range infused with SPF. The campaign features brand ambassador Aneet Padda and positions the collection as a blend of sun protection, skincare and long wear colour designed for India’s hot and humid climate.
Part of the Lakmé 9to5 portfolio, the new range expands the brand’s long running narrative around the confident working Indian woman. With the “I Earned It” message, the campaign shifts the focus slightly, celebrating not just ambition but also the idea that downtime and personal moments are equally deserved.
The campaign film follows a modern professional navigating a day that moves effortlessly between work calls, coffee runs and evening plans, reflecting the fast paced routine of urban life where indoor polish often meets outdoor exposure to the sun.
Hindustan Unilever Limited chief marketing officer for beauty and wellbeing Sunanda Khaitan said the product was developed with India’s climate and lifestyle in mind. “Living in a country with high sun exposure made us rethink what long wear beauty should deliver. With the Lakmé 9to5 Hya Beach Edit we are bringing together sun protection, hydration and high performance colour in a single step,” she said.
The new range is formulated with SPF and powered by hyaluronic acid, a skincare ingredient widely used for hydration. According to the brand, the products are designed to remain intact in heat and humidity with sweat proof, transfer proof and water proof formulas.
The aim is to merge skincare benefits with cosmetic performance, offering lightweight finishes that stay fresh even during long days outdoors.
Padda said the campaign resonated with her own routine of balancing work and personal time. “‘I Earned It’ is a reminder to celebrate yourself without guilt and enjoy the moments you have worked hard for. The campaign reflects that spirit with makeup that feels fresh, effortless and designed for real life,” she said.
The campaign was developed by Ogilvy, where creative leaders Mihir Chanchani and Zenobia Pithawalla described the concept as reflecting a Gen Z mindset that embraces both hustle and leisure.
The Lakmé 9to5 Hya Beach Edit collection is now available on the brand’s official website, major online marketplaces and retail stores across India.
MAM
Madison World to launch AI platform M BrAIn for media planning
Agency group invests about $1 million as it shifts to AI driven growth planning.
MUMBAI: If media planning once ran on spreadsheets and gut instinct, the next chapter may run on algorithms and curiosity. Madison World is preparing to roll out the first version of its proprietary artificial intelligence platform Madison M BrAIn in early April, as the independent agency group accelerates its transition toward AI driven planning and product led media services.
The platform, expected to involve an investment of around $1 million, is designed to reshape how the agency approaches strategy by combining internal knowledge, external data sources and advanced AI models into a single intelligence ecosystem.
According to Madison Media, OOH and Hiveminds partner and group CEO Ajit Varghese the initiative forms part of a larger structural rethink within the organisation. “Traditionally agencies built frameworks around media planning and allocation. We are redesigning that structure into what we call a Growth Planning System (GPS),” Varghese said.
The shift reflects a growing belief that effective media strategy must begin earlier in the decision making process. Instead of jumping directly to channel allocation, planners must first decode the market itself identifying consumer barriers, purchase triggers and the core challenges facing a brand.
Once those insights are mapped, agencies can build clearer growth agendas for clients and design media strategies that connect more closely with business outcomes.
To support that approach, Madison has built Madison M BrAIn as what it describes as a human AI cognitive ecosystem. Acting as a central intelligence hub, the platform aggregates proprietary insights alongside external data sources and large language models, enabling planners to access deeper market intelligence before building campaign strategies.
Varghese said one of the core objectives is to democratise knowledge across the organisation. “In the past, this level of understanding was largely available to senior leaders or experienced strategists. With Madison M BrAIn, even a junior planner should be able to access the same intelligence and approach clients with a far more informed perspective,” he said.
The agency has already implemented the new planning philosophy internally and completed three months of testing for the AI platform, with early trials showing encouraging results in terms of learning capability and system performance.
While the first version relied on global large language models, Madison is now developing its own proprietary Small Language Model (SLM) to serve as the core of the M BrAIn ecosystem.
“The SLM will be able to read global LLMs, but the LLMs cannot read the SLM,” Varghese explained. “That ensures all the intelligence we build remains within the Madison ecosystem and strengthens our proprietary knowledge base.”
The first version of Madison M BrAIn is expected to go live in early April, with a more refined version targeted by the end of June. Over time, the platform will integrate additional external data streams and APIs including consumer insight platforms, social listening tools and client datasets.
These integrations are expected to enhance the system’s learning capability and enable it to generate increasingly sophisticated strategic recommendations.
Although the platform is currently being deployed for internal use, Madison sees potential for it to evolve into a licensable product in the future.
“At the moment, our focus is to stabilise and strengthen M BrAIn internally. But over time there is potential for this to become a product that could be licensed externally,” Varghese said.
The AI platform is also part of a wider technology transformation underway at the agency group. Alongside M BrAIn, Madison is building a broader digital infrastructure called the Catalyst operating system, which aims to integrate operational processes, data and product platforms into a unified ecosystem.
This broader technology stack could require an additional $1 million to $1.5 million investment over time, though spending will be phased and reviewed regularly.
“We are evaluating progress every three months and prioritising the most critical capabilities first,” Varghese said.
Madison expects the full AI and operating ecosystem to be fully functional within 12 to 18 months, positioning the agency to combine human strategy with machine intelligence as the advertising industry enters its next data driven phase.
