Brands
Asli sona shines as Sonakshi strikes gold with Instamart this Diwali
MUMBAI: When life gives you a golden spoon, you star in an Instamart ad. This Dhanteras, Swiggy Instamart is back to strike gold literally with Asli Sona herself, Sonakshi Sinha, headlining its cheeky festive campaign that promises everything from Soan Papdi to actual sona delivered to your doorstep in just 10 minutes.
After last year’s nostalgic tribute to Karisma Kapoor’s Sona Kitna Sona Hai, Instamart doubles down on its golden pun game, rolling out a playful new film conceptualised in-house. The ad reimagines the phrase “born with a silver (or golden) spoon” in the most literal and hilarious way possible.
The campaign traces Sonakshi’s journey from an ultrasound where her golden spoon first makes an appearance, to her childhood on the playground and even a dramatic adult avatar where the same spoon deflects a bullet in a Versailles-like setting. The gleaming prop, much like its owner, steals the show ending with the tongue-in-cheek line: “Sona ka sona toh by birth sorted hai. Aap apna dekh lo?” reminding viewers that their own gold needs are just a tap away.
“Who doesn’t love a good pun and a great deal?” quips Swiggy head of brand marketing Mayur Hola. “After the iconic Sona Kitna Sona Hai campaign last Diwali, we’re back to remind everyone that asli sona is available on Instamart. And who better to do it than Sonakshi Sinha? From Soan Papdi to sona (gold), whatever you need, get it on Instamart in minutes.”
And it’s not all sparkle without substance, Instamart’s golden streak is backed by numbers. Last Diwali, a single user in Kochi purchased gold worth Rs 8.3 lakh through the platform, signalling how festive indulgence is now just a few clicks away. This year, the platform has teamed up with leading jewellery brands like Malabar Gold, Kalyan Jewellers, MMTC, and Mia by Tanishq, offering certified gold and silver coins right to customers’ doors.
With 24/7 delivery now expanded across cities including Delhi, Noida, and Gurugram, Instamart continues to redefine what “instant” means in quick commerce. From smartphones and luxury watches to festive jewellery, it’s all about blending convenience with indulgence wrapped in a dash of humour and a whole lot of gold.
As Sonakshi’s spoon gleams and bullets bounce off, one thing’s clear: in the fast lane of festive shopping, Instamart isn’t just serving speed, it’s serving sparkle.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
