Brands
Move over protein condoms, Crocs India just launched Protein Crocs™ for April Fool’s Day
The footwear brand taps into India’s gym-rat obsession with a deadpan fake product complete with edible Jibbitz and a creatine-infused sole
GURUGRAM: Crocs India has found its sweet spot at the intersection of sneaker culture and supplement obsession. For April Fool’s Day, the brand unveiled Protein Crocs™, a gloriously absurd fictional product designed for the kind of person who tracks their macros but skips leg day.
The creative, posted on Instagram, does not hold back. The imaginary shoe packs 20g of protein, comes loaded with edible Jibbitz, is curated for gym freaks and, most magnificently, features a creatine-infused sole. A “one more set” voice assistant is thrown in for good measure. The post racked up 125 likes and nine comments within an hour, with followers already clamouring for a creatine version.
It is a sharp piece of brand wit. Protein culture has swept through urban India with a fervour that borders on religion, and Crocs, never one to take itself too seriously, has leaned straight into it. The joke lands because it is just plausible enough — in a market where protein ice cream, protein chai and protein dosas are entirely real products, a protein shoe does not feel entirely impossible.
Gym freaks, the sole is not actually creatine-infused. But the brand very much knows its audience.
Brands
ZEEL transfers syndication business, invests Rs 505 crore in IP push
Restructuring, stake buy and FCCB moves signal sharper content strategy
MUMBAI: In the content economy, owning the story is half the battle monetising it is the real game, and Zee Entertainment Enterprises is doubling down on both. The company has approved the transfer of its syndication and content licensing business to its wholly owned subsidiary ZI-IPR Enterprises, alongside an investment of Rs 505 crore aimed at strengthening its play in content intellectual property (IP) acquisition, management and monetisation. The move, effective April 1, 2026, will see the business transferred on a slump sale basis at book value, including all associated assets, liabilities and commercial rights effectively consolidating IP operations under a more focused structure.
At its core, the restructuring signals a strategic shift. As content consumption increasingly fragments across digital and global platforms, the value of IP lies not just in creation but in how efficiently it can be distributed, repackaged and monetised across markets. By housing its syndication engine within ZI-IPR Enterprises, ZEEL appears to be building a more agile and scalable ecosystem, one that can better extract value from its vast content library while adapting to evolving distribution models.
But the company’s ambitions are not limited to restructuring. ZEEL has also approved an investment of up to Rs 20.09 crore in Culture of Real Experiences (CORE), acquiring a 51 per cent stake in the entity. The move expands its footprint into the broader creative and experiential space, suggesting a push beyond traditional broadcasting into areas where content, culture and immersive experiences intersect.
At the same time, ZEEL has moved to tidy up its financials, approving the redemption of $23.9 million in outstanding foreign currency convertible bonds (FCCBs) and cancelling an unused $215.1 million commitment. The twin steps are expected to ease pressure on its treasury, freeing up capital and improving financial flexibility as the company invests more aggressively in its IP strategy.
Taken together, the decisions reflect a company in recalibration mode streamlining legacy structures, sharpening its focus on content ownership, and exploring new avenues for growth. In a market where the lines between television, streaming and experiential entertainment are increasingly blurred, ZEEL’s latest moves suggest it is not just creating content, but building a system to make that content travel further and pay better.
