MAM
BBDO ropes in Atin Wahal as EVP Mumbai
MUMBAI: Former Publicis SVP Atin Wahal has joined advertising agency BBDO as the new executive vice president. Wahal will head the Mumbai office.
BBDO Asia chairman and CEO Jean-Paul Burge says, “This is a key role in a key market for a key office. India and BBDO India are booming and I have no doubt Atin will make a great success of taking our Mumbai office to greater heights. We have a fantastic team there and a tremendous culture which I am certain he will bring an exciting new dimension to.”
Wahal adds, “I have always considered myself being in the business of storytelling for brands and I am thrilled to be a part of the team who is the best in the business not only in India but the world. What got my attention when meeting Josy, Ajai and JP is how simplistic but thorough the approach is towards their brands which lends itself to the philosophy of ‘acts, not ads’. In the last 10 years, BBDO India has been the most effective and creative agency in the world and I look forward to making the agency and its clients shine even brighter.”
BBDO India chairman and chief creative officer Josy Paul mentions, “Atin is a hands-on advertising and brand management champion with a strong business acumen. He is a believer and partitioner of our ‘Acts Not Ads’ mantra and a keen follower of social movements led by brands–including our work on Gillette, Ariel, Whisper, Mirinda, Quaker, Visa, SC Johnsons, All Out and Aviva Life Insurance. We are thrilled to have him on our side. Spiritually, he is already one of us.”
MAM
Star Sports under fire for ‘cringe’ India–SA Super 8 promo
Broadcaster accused of arrogance and disrespect as fans slam Super 8 promotion
AHMEDABAD: Star Sports is facing a wave of criticism after its latest promotional campaign for the India–South Africa T20 World Cup Super 8 match triggered a fierce social media backlash, quickly dubbed “Cupcakegate”.
The advertisement, released this week, hinges on a cupcake metaphor that many viewers have condemned as patronising and disrespectful. In the clip, an Indian supporter mockingly offers a pink cupcake to a South African fan, a visual jibe widely interpreted as portraying the Proteas as a soft, easily beaten opponent.
The backlash has been swift across platforms such as X and Reddit, with fans and commentators accusing the broadcaster of tone-deaf bravado at a crucial stage of the tournament. The criticism is sharpened by the context: both India and South Africa arrive in the Super 8s unbeaten, undermining any suggestion of a one-sided contest.
Online, the cupcake symbol has been read as carrying multiple barbs. Some users argue it alludes to South African president Cyril Ramaphosa’s domestic nickname, while others see it as recycling the long-running “chokers” trope associated with South Africa in ICC tournaments. The casting choice has also drawn scrutiny, with viewers noting the physical disparity between the actors playing the two fans, which critics described as a cheap attempt to belittle the opposition.
Even Indian supporters have joined the pile-on. Many warned that such chest-thumping marketing risks “jinxing” the team, pointing to past tournaments where aggressive campaigns preceded unexpected defeats.
Star Sports is no stranger to rivalry-led advertising, having struck gold with its earlier “Mauka Mauka” series. But analysts say the cupcake campaign misreads a fanbase that has grown less tolerant of overtly mocking narratives and more attuned to sporting parity and respect.
India and South Africa meet on Sunday, 22 February, at the 132,000-seat Narendra Modi Stadium. With South Africa securing their Super 8 berth through a commanding win over the UAE, the fixture is widely billed as a heavyweight clash, not the walkover the ad appears to suggest.
