Brands
Kraft Heinz to sell Complan brand in India
MUMBAI: US food and beverage giant Kraft Heinz is looking to sell its children’s energy drink brand Complan in India. The sale could help Heinz in fetching about $1 billion.
Kraft Heinz is said to be working with an adviser to gauge interest in the brand from potential buyers. These buyers could be local Indian companies and private equity firms. According to media reports, the company may also decide to keep the brand.
In India, Heinz offers Complan, Glucon-D, Heinz tomato ketchup and cheese. Internationally, the brand is also into selling baked beans, vinegar, mayonnaise and sauces.
Rumour has it, that three companies in India are expected to bid for GlaxoSmithKline’s Horlicks, which is a health nutrition company that competes directly with Complan. Heinz is one of the bidders for Horlicks.
Horlicks decided to move out of children’s energy drink business after GSK started a review of several businesses to support its $13 billion bill for a 36.5 per cent stake of Novartis in their customer healthcare joint venture.
Brands
DeVANS sparks buzz with self-chilling beer can April Fools campaign
Godfather stunt racks up 7 million impressions, blending humour with hype
NEW DELHI: DeVANS Modern Breweries has stirred up the marketing pot with a playful yet high-impact campaign teasing a futuristic “self-chilling beer can” under its flagship Godfather label.
What began as a seemingly bold product innovation quickly turned into one of the most talked-about brand moments online, before being revealed as an April Fools’ Day prank. The reveal, however, did little to cool the buzz.
The campaign clocked over 7 million organic impressions across platforms including LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X, with users debating whether the concept was a genuine breakthrough or clever marketing theatre. Thousands of shares and comments turned the idea into a full-blown conversation, drawing in both consumers and industry insiders.
The hook was simple but effective. A self-chilling can positioned as an on-the-go convenience product tapped into the imagination of younger, urban audiences. Add the timing around April Fools’ Day, and the campaign struck the perfect balance between curiosity and scepticism, keeping audiences guessing.
Marketing experts have pointed to the campaign as a case study in leveraging cultural moments. By leaving just enough ambiguity, the brand invited audiences to participate rather than simply observe, turning passive viewers into active contributors to the narrative.
“Godfather has always been an iconic brand, but iconicity must evolve to stay meaningful,” said DeVANS Modern Breweries chairman and managing director Prem Dewan. “The ‘Self-Chilling Can’ was our way of showing up in a cultural moment with confidence and a sense of humour.”
Beyond the numbers, the campaign signals a broader repositioning for Godfather. Long seen as a legacy beer brand, it is now leaning into youth culture, digital-first storytelling and topical engagement to stay relevant in a crowded alcobev market.
In a space where attention is fleeting, DeVANS has shown that sometimes the coolest idea is the one that keeps people guessing.
