MAM
Havmor Ice Cream asks post-lockdown ‘Sabse Pehle Kya Karega’
MUMBAI: ‘Sabse pehle kya karega?’ – a digital campaign launched by Havmor, one of India’s favourite ice cream brands, underlines what’s on everyone’s minds with the lockdown now nearing an end in most places. It focuses on what the consumer really wants the moment life gets back to normal. While there will be a lot of things to do, what’s the first thing they would want to do? The feeling can only be juxtaposed with the smallest, simplest pleasures of life that people were deprived of – like having ice creams. Starting off with ice cream, one would only be assured of bringing back happiness which is the message highlighted in the campaign – Khushiyan wapas le aao.
Conceptualised by Sideways, the film weaves across demographics set against a happy-go-lucky song. Bound by shooting constraints in the current scenario, the film is wholly created by sourcing home videos keeping the emotions raw and simple, quite like the experience of having an ice cream.
Havmor Ice Cream MD Anindya Dutta, said, “We feel this brand film will specifically help in strengthening our bond further with consumers, many of whom have been waiting to eat their favourite Havmor Ice Cream. We are confident that ice cream consumption will pick up and we are already seeing green shoots.”
Havmor Ice Cream head of marketing Shekhar Agarwal added, “The film is an enjoyable way of articulating emotion of what we all want to do once the lockdown is over. Ice Cream is a source of happiness to many, and we see our brand playing a central role in bringing happiness in small measures in our consumer’s day to day life.”
Sideways founder Abhijit Avasthi said, “Havmor is a brand that promises to unlock joy in ordinary moments. Under the given circumstances just the thought of getting back to a semblance of normalcy is a source of joy for most of us. And that’s what we have tried to capture using a nice hummable track.”
Brands
Pre-seed funding fuels nailinit, India’s new-age nail care brand
Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund backs Gen Z-focused beauty startup
MUMBAI: nailinit, a community-first nail care startup targeting Gen Z and millennials, has raised Rs 2.5 to Rs 3 crore in a pre-seed round led by Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund and Marsshot VC, alongside a clutch of consumer, technology and operator angels.
Backed by entrepreneur and investor Nikhil Kamath, Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund is betting on nailinit’s attempt to give India’s nail care aisle a long overdue makeover. The fresh capital will be used to deepen distribution across quick commerce and D2C channels, build its community engine, and accelerate product innovation in a category that is high frequency but still light on strong brands.
Founded by Tanishq Ambegaokar and Shubham Singhal, nailinit is positioning itself at the crossroads of beauty, self-expression and culture. The brand wants nails to be more than a finishing touch. It sees them as a canvas for identity, content and commerce.
“At nailinit, we are building for a generation that sees beauty as self-expression, not just routine,” said Ambegaokar. “The nail category in India has largely been underserved by strong brands. This capital allows us to invest in product depth, community and distribution in a thoughtful and long-term way.”
Singhal added that while the brand’s tone may be playful, its operating focus is sharp. “This round strengthens our supply chain, expands our digital footprint and enables disciplined execution as we scale.”
The funding round drew notable angels including Shashank Kumar of Razorpay, Arjit Johri of Marsshot VC, Yash Jain, formerly of NimbusPost, Karan Jindal of Meta, Jivraj Singh Sachar of ISV Capital, Nishank Jain of Accel, Yashvardhan Kanoi, Ashwarya Garg of HYPD, Venus Dhuria of Phot.AI and Amishi Parasrampuria of The Whole Truth.
Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund fund manager Gauri Kuchhal, believes the opportunity lies in shifting habits. “Nail care remains underpenetrated in India, with consumers relying on time-intensive salon visits. As convenience and self-expression gain ground, press-on nails can unlock more frequent and experimental usage. Nailinit is well-placed to expand beyond press-ons into adjacent categories.”
The brand is currently the only nail care player in India blending product-led retail with a dedicated kiosk at Jio World Drive in Bandra, where customers can walk in for services while discovering the range. It has also built early traction across quick commerce platforms such as Zepto and Blinkit, with a launch on Instamart in the pipeline, and is available on Amazon, strengthening its omnichannel presence.
In a space long dominated by salon chairs and scattered labels, nailinit is attempting to file, shape and polish the category into something sharper. With fresh funding in hand, the startup is setting out to prove that in beauty, small details can make a bold statement.
