MAM
Forevermark unveils a series of six short films telling the incredible journey of moving giants
MUMBAI: For World Elephant Day 2019, Forevermark, the diamond brand from De Beers Group, is excited to unveil a compelling six-part short film series revealing the epic journey of one of the world’s keystone species as they embark on one of the largest and longest translocations ever undertaken in South Africa.
In 2018, De Beers Group announced that it was commencing a major conservation initiative titled Moving Giants that would see around 200 elephants translocated from its Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve (VLNR) in South Africa to a national park in Mozambique co-managed by NGO Peace Parks Foundation and the Mozambique government. The aim of the initiative, which would take around three years to complete, is to protect and sustain the natural habitat, and the future survival of the animals and plants it supports, at the VLNR, while helping to facilitate the restoration of the elephant population in Mozambique.
The six-part film series tells the moving story of the first 48 elephants and what it takes to translocate these majestic creatures a staggering 1,700km to Zinave National Park. Each episode is told through the eyes and experiences of the varied group of experts, partners and collaborators involved in the project, including elephant translocation specialist Kester Vickery; veterinarian Dr. Andre Uys; Senior Manager: Ecology and DBCM Properties Piet Oosthuizen; and Zinave National Park Ranger Estevao Chiure.
In July 2019, De Beers Group announced that it had successfully carried out its second translocation as part of Moving Giants, translocating a further 53 elephants from its Venetia Limpopo Nature in South Africa to Zinave National Park in Mozambique.
Respect and love for nature are deeply embedded in the heart of Forevermark. Forevermark, as part of De Beers Group, is proud to be a part of this cutting-edge conservation project and the partnership with De Beers Group and Peace Parks Foundation, as they aim to protect and sustain the VLNR for future generations and, in turn, help to restore Mozambique’s elephant population.
Throughout a Forevermark diamond's journey from rough to polished, particular care has been taken to ensure responsible business practices, to protect the natural world. The future of this amazing keystone species is in our generations hands and it is our responsibility to continue conservation efforts to protect them and the habitats around them, so future generations can continue to enjoy the incredible earth we live on.
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.
