MAM
FUJIFILM India Instax welcomes Kartik Aaryan and Kriti Sanon as brand ambassadors
Mumbai: FUJIFILM India imaging technology company with over 90 years of pioneering legacy in photo imaging, proudly announces the onboarding of film stars Kriti Sanon and Kartik Aaryan as brand ambassadors for their INSTAX business in India. These youth icons perfectly embody the INSTAX spirit. Kriti, renowned for her vibrant fashion sense, complements Fujifilm’s colourful instant cameras, while Kartik’s infectious smile and spontaneity align seamlessly with the candid charm of INSTAX.
The INSTAX series celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, introduced by Fujifilm to India in 2012 with Analog Instant Cameras, Hybrid Instant Cameras, Smartphone Printers, and the innovative INSTAX Pal digital camera. Riding on its success, INSTAX has expanded its retail footprint from 1,500 to 2,500 stores, resulting in an annual growth rate exceeding 50 per cent. This impressive expansion spans major cities and online platforms, showcasing INSTAX ‘s remarkable growth in India. With a strategic focus on Generation Z, INSTAX products are accessible through diverse retail channels and their dedicated D2C platform, Instax.in.
Sharing her excitement, Actress and brand ambassador, Kriti Sanon, voiced her enthusiasm, ” I am excited to join the INSTAX family and share this unique experience with others. I’ve cherished INSTAX for years, curating a scrapbook of cherished moments with loved ones. Each INSTAX print signifies a special memory, evoking a rush of emotions which is unmatchable in this digital era. The playful and aesthetic design of their cameras and printers perfectly complements my personality, making INSTAX an essential part of my life.”
On the occasion, Actor and brand ambassador, Kartik Aaryan said, “I live in the moment and cherish capturing candid moments on the go. INSTAX is my constant companion during travels for shoot and vacation. I love sharing INSTAX prints with my near and dear ones as a heartfelt, personal gift from me. I have captured so many personal candid moments with Katori and my family and hanged on my house walls. Each print holds a unique memory, preserving moments of joy that I can share with others, creating lasting bonds through the magic of instant photography.”
INSTAX offers cutting-edge products for creating instant memories, seamlessly blending innovation with nostalgia. Analog instant cameras capture spontaneous photographs, while hybrid models like the mini Evo feature versatile film and filter effects for enhanced creativity. Additionally, the mini LiPlay integrates a voice record function for interactive QR code-enabled prints, adding a unique personal touch. Fujifilm’s printers elevate smartphone photos with AR enhancements and creative doodling options, delivering user-friendly, portable solutions for instant gratification and meaningful connections. With ambassadors Kriti Sanon and Kartik Aaryan, INSTAX inspires Gen Z to explore and enjoy the joys of instant photography.
FUJIFILM India managing director Koji Wada stated, “We are delighted to welcome Kriti Sanon and Kartik Aaryan to the INSTAX family. Their energy and enthusiasm perfectly align with our Group Philosophy of “Giving our World More Smiles”. As influential youth icons, they embody the creativity and joy INSTAX stands for. We are confident their association will inspire more people to experience the unique charm of instant photography, creating and sharing lasting memories. We look forward to a wonderful collaboration that brings even More Smiles to our customers across India.”
Adding on, Arun Babu, associate director & head of digital camera, INSTAX & Optical Devices Business at FUJIFILM India, voiced, “With Kriti and Kartik on board, we aim to enhance our brand reach and connect with the youth. INSTAX is a celebration of life’s moments, and our new ambassadors perfectly aligns with this spirit. Leveraging their popularity, we intend to broaden the INSTAX brand across India, promoting a vibrant ‘culture of photography’ where capturing and sharing moments is a joyful part of everyday life.”
Fujifilm recently launched their group purpose “Giving Our World More Smiles” and this new collaboration with Kriti Sanon and Kartik Aaryan exemplifies their commitment to spreading joy and creativity through their products and services, fostering lasting memories for their customers, business partners, and photography enthusiasts.
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.
