Brands
The Golden Elixir of Smoke: Hillfort Whisky strikes gold with smoky new campaign
MUMBAI: Raise a glass! Hillfort Whisky has found liquid gold in its latest campaign.
When the premium spirit joined forces with creative agency Black Cab, the mission was simple yet ambitious: take Hillfort from being just another label on the shelf to a whisky with a story worth savouring.
Enter “The Golden Elixir of Smoke”, a campaign that promised more than just a drama. It offered discovery, drama, and a dash of heritage. Drawing on imagery of gold, relics, rulers and celebration, the visuals painted Hillfort as a hidden treasure waiting to be unearthed.
The campaign leaned heavily on visual storytelling, weaving together motifs of gold, relics, rulers and celebration. Seven themes, including “The Discovery,” “The Treasure,” “The Smoky Affair” and “The Celebration”, were used to frame Hillfort’s character as rare, layered and connoisseur-worthy.
The results? According to the brand, the campaign reached 1.3 million people, drove over 38,000 engagements and nearly 9,000 link clicks, while also boosting its follower base by 1,600.
For whisky enthusiasts, it was a smoky revelation. For casual scrollers, it was proof that storytelling still packs a punch in digital marketing. And for Hillfort, it was a golden moment in building a brand legacy that looks set to pour out many more chapters.
As Black Cab cheekily put it, this isn’t just whisky. Its history, heritage, and a happy ending served neat.
Brands
Madhu Soman joins Crestoria Global advisory board role
Former WION, Zee Business executive pivots to mentorship platform
MUMBAI: Madhu Soman, former chief business officer at WION and Zee Business, has joined the board of advisors at Crestoria Global, marking a shift from newsroom leadership to mentorship and education.
Soman, who brings close to three decades of experience across journalism and media management, said the move reflects a growing focus on shaping the next generation through guidance and real-world insight. His career spans leadership roles at organisations including Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters and Reuters, covering markets from India to Asia-Pacific.
“Across 28 years in the news business, one idea kept resurfacing as a meaningful off-ramp, teaching, mentorship, and helping shape the next generation,” said Soman. “Crestoria sits right at that intersection.”
Crestoria Global, which positions itself as a long-term education and career advisory platform, focuses on helping students navigate global opportunities through structured guidance, research-led insights and personalised mentorship. The company said its approach goes beyond university admissions to focus on long-term career positioning.
Soman added that the platform’s philosophy of designing success with intent, rather than leaving it to chance, resonated with his own outlook on impact and influence.
The advisory board brings together professionals from diverse fields, including academia, media and corporate leadership, aimed at offering students a broader perspective on career pathways in an increasingly complex global landscape.
As he steps into this new role, Soman’s move signals a wider trend of seasoned industry leaders turning towards mentorship, where experience is not just shared, but scaled for the next generation.
