iWorld
ACKO scales its partnership with Sony LIV for the third year in a row
Mumbai: ACKO and Sony LIV come together for the third consecutive year to redefine the way brands and media partners collaborate to deliver solution-driven objectives. The cornerstone of the partnership has been to leverage Sony LIV’s high-octane properties. The latform has successfully provided a path-breaking brand solution and created contextual opportunities to enhance ACKO’s messaging and make it a household name across India, establishing it as one of the leading technology and digital-first insurance brands.
ACKO’s “Welcome Change” brand philosophy has challenged preconceived notions of insurance buying in India. To further strengthen the brand’s messaging, Sony LIV created a unique brand solution titled “ACKO Change Makers Wall” on the second season of Shark Tank India. ACKO was the first brand to tie up with Shark Tank in the first year and has been a co-presenting sponsor on Shark Tank India for three consecutive years.
To double down on ACKO’s key markets like Mumbai, there was a beautiful integration of ‘ACKO Manaat Tu Song (An Ode to Mumbai)’ with the journey of the Indian Idol finalists. This was a tribute to the city of opportunities and change by the contestants who became India’s favourite stars.
Additionally, ACKO was able to successfully leverage the high impact generated by the multi-sport event on Sony LIV by coming on board as a co-powered sponsor for ‘The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games’. The Indian Athletes gave viewers plenty of memorable moments, which ACKO exclusively presented through special segments such as ‘ACKO Daily Highlights’ and ‘ACKO Moment of the Day’.
With strong success stories, ACKO and Sony LIV embark on their third year of partnership with innovative campaigns and integration planned through the year on some of the most iconic shows in India, such as Shark Tank India, Kaun Banega Crorepati, The Asian Games, The Ashes, MasterChef India along with Sony LIV originals.
Sony LIV head of ad sales revenue Ranjana Mangla said, “Today, brands are increasingly looking for innovative solutions that can help build brand equity. One such success story is our long-standing partnership with ACKO Insurance. Together, we have created countless advancements for ACKO with rich in-content integrations. We have built and designed many firsts in contextual segments across our large impact properties aligned with ACKO’s brand philosophy. Sony LIV has established itself as a platform for clutter-breaking original content, marquee multi-sport events and our flagship reality shows which has earned us accolades and an ever-increasing subscriber base. This long-term partnership is a testimony to our solution-driven commitment and content library.
ACKO EVP marketing Ashish Mishra said, “At ACKO, we honestly believe that long-term partnerships with our media partners are mutually beneficial compared to sporadic media buys. This enables both parties to better understand each other’s business plans and objectives and customize solutions around them. We have witnessed this with Sony LIV’s team year after year. It’s refreshing to have a media partner passionately care about our brand’s growth. The team proactively comes back to us with the right solutions for our key markets to ensure we hit our targets. Of course, it helps that Sony LIV has some of the best properties on OTT right now like KBC, MasterChef, Asian Game and of course Shark Tank, which for us is as big as IPL.
iWorld
Meta warns 200 users after fake Whatsapp spyware attack
Italy-targeted campaign used unofficial app to deploy surveillance spyware.
MUMBAI: It looked like a message, but it behaved like a mole. Meta has warned around 200 users most of them in Italy after uncovering a targeted spyware campaign that weaponised a fake version of WhatsApp to infiltrate devices. The attack, first reported by Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata, relied on classic social engineering with a modern twist: persuading users to download an unofficial WhatsApp clone embedded with surveillance software. The malicious application, believed to be developed by Italian firm SIO through its subsidiary ASIGINT, was designed to mimic the real app closely enough to bypass suspicion.
Meta’s security teams identified roughly 200 individuals who may have installed the compromised version, triggering immediate countermeasures. Affected users were logged out of their accounts and issued alerts warning of potential privacy breaches, with the company describing the incident as a “targeted social engineering attempt” aimed at gaining device-level access.
The malicious app was not distributed via official app stores but circulated through third-party channels, where it was presented as a legitimate WhatsApp alternative. Once installed, it reportedly allowed external operators to access sensitive data stored on the device turning a simple download into a potential surveillance gateway.
According to Techcrunch, Meta is now preparing legal action against the spyware developers to curb further misuse. The company, however, has not disclosed details about the specific individuals targeted or the extent of data compromised.
A Whatsapp spokesperson reiterated that user safety remains the top priority, particularly for those misled into installing the fake iOS application. Meanwhile, reports from La Repubblica suggest the spyware may be linked to “Spyrtacus”, a strain previously associated with Android-based attacks that could intercept calls, activate microphones and even access cameras.
The episode underscores a growing reality in the digital age, the threat is no longer just what you download, but where you download it from. As unofficial apps become increasingly convincing, the line between communication tool and covert surveillance is getting harder to spot and far easier to exploit.
