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Viacom18 hijacks Google Search in its latest campaign of TATA WPL
Mumbai: TATA WPL’s official broadcast and digital partner Viacom18 has launched ‘Search Hijack,’ the latest campaign from the thrill-a-minute women’s T20 league’s stable. With women’s cricket gaining popularity in India, Search Hijack aims to give Indian Women Cricketers the much-deserved recognition they deserve as they continue to inspire on the field, while also encouraging viewers to catch the WPL as it enters a high-octane play-offs stage.
The campaign features stylish southpaw Smriti Mandhana who had recently been named as one of the current most likeable and popular female sports personalities in India in the brand endorser report by Hansa Research.
The campaign germinated from the core idea that male baby names in India are inspired by cricketers while parents tend to turn towards film stars for their female baby names. Viacom18 aims to disrupt the status quo and encourage parents to look at a wider canvas comprising our women cricketers while choosing names for their baby girls. The campaign gives new parents baby girls’ names that will soon go down in history.
Search Hijack, conceptualised by 22feet Tribal Worldwide, makes girl name recommendations to new parents each time they run a search on Google. It uses Google’s retargeting feature to serve up an ad featuring Smriti Mandhana where she gives parents a glimpse of the trendiest names of stars from the future, being that of India’s most popular women cricketers.
“It is not just a wonderful feeling to be the face of this campaign by Viacom18 but also to throw weight behind the thought that drove it,” said India’s vice captain Smriti Mandhana. “These are small steps towards big changes in the way we function as a society and I do hope that somewhere everything we do while wearing the India badge on-field will inspire the next generation of aspiring cricketers to come.”
“Our vision is to develop the WPL into the world’s biggest women’s sporting league. Search Hijack is one of the many efforts we are making along those lines, to grow awareness about our women cricketers and their exploits on the field which will make them household names,” said Viacom18’s creative head of marketing, Shagun Seda. “Our aspiration is to popularise these names to an extent where ‘Smriti’ or ‘Mithali’ are just as much sought after names as ‘Sachin’ or ‘Rohit’ eventually.”
22Feet Tribal Worldwide national creative director Vishnu Srivatsav said, “The launch of the WPL wasn’t just a sporting event; it was the start of an era and a historic moment in sports made possible only by the endeavours of a long list of heroes. We wanted to celebrate these women in a way that ensures their legacy lives on. We realised that we needed to intervene at a moment that ensures their name is carried on—the moment when parents-to-be were searching for their baby’s name. And so, the name search hijack was born.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
