MAM
Adidas, Rohit Sharma partner to launch a sustainable apparel collection for the Indian market
Mumbai: adidas and Rohit Sharma have signed a collaboration to launch their first-ever collaboration in sustainable apparel for the Indian market. This collection comes in continuation of adidas’ and Rohit’s long-standing partnership and commitment to end plastic waste. Rohit has been committed towards this cause in partnership with adidas, as was witnessed during the past two editions of the IPL, where he used the global stage to showcase specially crafted shoes, highlighting the cause and spreading awareness around marine plastic pollution.
The stylish and sustainable collection will comprise an array of products ranging from training t-shirts, training pants, shorts, track suits, polo t-shirts, round neck t-shirts, sweatshirts, and lounge pants. The collection has been designed by leading experiential designer Aaquib Wani in collaboration with Rohit. The limited edition collection will be available in select stores and on adidas.co.in.
Speaking at the launch, Indian Cricket Captain Rohit Sharma said, “Marine pollution is one of the biggest challenges mankind faces today. Oceans are key to our survival, and it is a world like no other and must be protected. My association with adidas over the years has been a major step towards spreading awareness for the cause, which is why I am proud to collaborate with them for this collection. Ending plastic waste is a priority for us both, and this collection is a result of unparalleled commitment and effort towards saving the oceans.”
Sharing his thoughts at the launch, adidas India senior director Sunil Gupta said, “Sustainability has been one of the core values for adidas over the years. We have been on a mission to help end plastic waste, and all of our efforts ladder up to this goal. We believe that collaboration, creativity, and eco-innovation are the winning formulas to save our oceans and end the global plastic crisis. As our sustainability ambassador, Rohit has always been at the forefront of our quest to end plastic waste, which is why this collection marks a milestone for our partnership. It is through this partnership that we aim to spread awareness and inspire millions out there to join us in our effort to end plastic waste.”
MAM
ASCI study uncovers how Gen Alpha navigates ads in endless digital feeds
‘What the Sigma?’ ethnographic report maps blurred boundaries between content and commerce for 7–15-year-olds.
MUMBAI: Gen Alpha isn’t scrolling through the internet, they’re living rent-free inside its never-ending dopamine drip, and the ads have already moved in next door. The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) Academy, partnering with Futurebrands Consulting, has published ‘What the Sigma?’, an immersive ethnographic study that maps how Indian children aged 7–15 (Generation Alpha) consume, interpret and live alongside media and commercial messaging in a hyper-digital environment.
The research draws on in-home interviews, sibling and peer conversations, and discussions with parents, teachers, counsellors, psychologists, marketers and kidfluencers across six cities. It examines not only what children watch but how algorithms, content creators, peers and parents shape their relationship with the constant stream of shorts, vlogs, gameplay, memes, sponsored posts and ‘kid-ified’ adult material.
Five core themes emerged:
- Discontinuous Generation, Gen Alpha is not growing up alongside the internet, they are growing up inside it. Cultural references, humour, aesthetics and language sync globally in real time, often leaving adults functionally illiterate in their children’s world. A reference that lands instantly for a 10-year-old in Mumbai or Visakhapatnam feels opaque or disjointed to most parents.
- Authority Vacuum, Parents and teachers frequently lose cultural fluency in digital spaces. The algorithm responsive, inexhaustible and perfectly attuned to preferences becomes the most attentive presence in many children’s daily lives. Rules around screen time feel increasingly difficult to enforce when adults cannot fully see or understand the content landscape.
- Digital as Society, Online and offline no longer exist as separate realms, they form one continuous reality. The phone is not a tool children pick up; it is the primary social environment they inhabit.
- Great Media Mukbang, Content flows as an ambient, boundary-less, multi-sensorial stream. Entertainment, advertising, commerce, gameplay, memes and vlogs merge into one undifferentiated feed. The line between active choice and passive absorption has largely collapsed.
- Blurred Ad Recognition, Children aged 7–12 typically recognise only the most overt advertising formats. Influencer promotions, gaming integrations and vlog sponsorships often register as organic entertainment. Children aged 13–15 show greater ad literacy but remain highly susceptible to narrative-integrated, passion-driven and emotionally resonant brand messaging. Discernment remains low across the board in a non-stop stream.
ASCI CEO and secretary general Manisha Kapoor said, “ASCI Academy’s study is an investigation into the content life of Generation Alpha not to judge them but to understand them. Their cultural reference points seem disjointed from those of earlier generations. Insights on how they perceive advertising is the first step towards building more responsible engagement frameworks, given that they are the youngest media consumers in our country right now.”
Futurebrands Consulting founder and director Santosh Desai added, “While earlier generations have been exposed to digital media, for this generation it is the world they inhabit. This report explores not only what they watch but how they are being shaped by algorithms, content and advertising.”
The study proposes four adaptive, principles-led pathways:
- Universal signposting of commercial intent using design principles that make advertising recognisable even to young audiences.
- Ecosystem-wide responsibility shared among advertisers, platforms, creators, schools and parents.
- Future-ready safeguards built directly into children’s content experiences rather than as optional background settings.
- Formal media and advertising literacy embedded in school curricula to teach age-appropriate understanding of persuasion and commercial intent.
In a feed that never pauses, Gen Alpha isn’t merely watching content, they’re swimming in an ocean where entertainment, commerce and identity swirl together. The real question isn’t whether they can spot an ad; it’s whether the adults building the ocean can agree on where the lifeguards should stand.
