MAM
Wing Communications to handle Advait Infratech’s PR mandate
Mumbai: Wing Communications has won the communications mandate for Advait Infratech—a Gujrat-based Infratech on Wednesday. It provides robust products and solutions for power transmission, substation, and telecommunication infrastructure and is hoping to expand into green/renewable energy by 2023.
Wing Communications will be providing a range of services, including managing the brand’s strategic PR, media relations, and corporate PR and reputation management across India through incisive campaigns.
Commenting on the development, Advait Infratech founder and managing director Shalin Seth said, “Wing Communications has established credentials, diversified experience across sectors and a deep understanding of the infrastructure industry, which makes them an excellent partner to drive our communications. With a team that has a seamless nationwide and international network, impeccable industry stewardship, and expertise in communicating the value of a company and linking them to concrete results, we’re looking forward to strengthening our communication and presence in the Infratech domain.”
“Advait Infratech is an institution that is proudly making strides in building the nation and strengthening the core of our economy, and we are extremely proud to be a partner with this transformational brand in their public relations journey. With this mandate, we are looking forward to going beyond traditional PR. We will be helping Advait Infratech with thought leadership campaigns that will not only help them in engaging with the audience in the digital space and building their online footprint, but will also give them a remarkable boost in their rapid growth journey,” said Wing Communications CEO and co-founder Shiva Bhavani.
MAM
Star Sports under fire for ‘cringe’ India–SA Super 8 promo
Broadcaster accused of arrogance and disrespect as fans slam Super 8 promotion
AHMEDABAD: Star Sports is facing a wave of criticism after its latest promotional campaign for the India–South Africa T20 World Cup Super 8 match triggered a fierce social media backlash, quickly dubbed “Cupcakegate”.
The advertisement, released this week, hinges on a cupcake metaphor that many viewers have condemned as patronising and disrespectful. In the clip, an Indian supporter mockingly offers a pink cupcake to a South African fan, a visual jibe widely interpreted as portraying the Proteas as a soft, easily beaten opponent.
The backlash has been swift across platforms such as X and Reddit, with fans and commentators accusing the broadcaster of tone-deaf bravado at a crucial stage of the tournament. The criticism is sharpened by the context: both India and South Africa arrive in the Super 8s unbeaten, undermining any suggestion of a one-sided contest.
Online, the cupcake symbol has been read as carrying multiple barbs. Some users argue it alludes to South African president Cyril Ramaphosa’s domestic nickname, while others see it as recycling the long-running “chokers” trope associated with South Africa in ICC tournaments. The casting choice has also drawn scrutiny, with viewers noting the physical disparity between the actors playing the two fans, which critics described as a cheap attempt to belittle the opposition.
Even Indian supporters have joined the pile-on. Many warned that such chest-thumping marketing risks “jinxing” the team, pointing to past tournaments where aggressive campaigns preceded unexpected defeats.
Star Sports is no stranger to rivalry-led advertising, having struck gold with its earlier “Mauka Mauka” series. But analysts say the cupcake campaign misreads a fanbase that has grown less tolerant of overtly mocking narratives and more attuned to sporting parity and respect.
India and South Africa meet on Sunday, 22 February, at the 132,000-seat Narendra Modi Stadium. With South Africa securing their Super 8 berth through a commanding win over the UAE, the fixture is widely billed as a heavyweight clash, not the walkover the ad appears to suggest.
