MAM
Dentsu Webchutney launches digital campaigns for Vespa Red and Aprilia
MUMBAI: Dentsu Webchutney has created a digital campaign for Piaggio India’s trendsetting Vespa Red that was launched the month of October last year. It is an extension of its existing global collaboration with Red, an organisation that partners with global brands to create awareness and support the fight against HIV/AIDS.
The sale of each Vespa Red, which was presented by Actor and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, Farhan Akhtar, at the launch event, contributes to financing Global Fund to fight AIDS in India.
The digital campaign for Vespa Red kicked off with a series of teasers, creating excitement about the collaboration and introducing Red while educating audiences on the significance of this charity and the partnership.
On the day of the launch, Farhan Akhtar held a Facebook Live session. This was amplified via influencer activation. The campaign received average engagement of over 80 per cent across platforms by the audience. The brand received 11K impressions on the day.
Dentsu Webchutney Mumbai EVP and branch head Nishi Kant says, “The team couldn’t keep calm since the day we received the brief. Our pitch was one of the finest that we have produced so far. We had great fun working on these two campaigns as the brand that appeals to a young, sporty, fun-loving audience and has a tremendous heritage value as well. This is going to be a great ride and here’s to many more such campaign.”
Aprilia, which is renowned the world over for its unmatched racing heritage, entered the Indian market with its first made-in-India, made-for-India, crossover product – Aprilia SR 150. As a new entrant, the primary objective of the campaign was to create brand awareness. The media strategy was based on the same. First up – to increase visibility and awareness. To achieve this, impact properties were focussed on.
The campaign received more than 100 million impressions from Aprilia’s launch film. Organically, 14K followers were added to the Facebook page. This, coupled with a planned influencer activity across relevant categories, saw an increase in engagement by 39 per cent.
Brands
MS Dhoni joins Cars24’s Crashfree India as Goodwill Ambassador
Cricketing legend lends his voice to the fight against road fatalities in India.
MUMBAI: MS Dhoni has traded his cricket whites for a new kind of captaincy, one that aims to save lives on India’s roads. The former India captain has been appointed Goodwill Ambassador for Crashfree India, Cars24’s national road safety initiative. The move brings one of the country’s most trusted and disciplined public figures to a cause that desperately needs both credibility and urgency.
India continues to record the highest number of traffic fatalities globally. In 2024 alone, 1,80,000 people lost their lives on Indian roads, one every three minutes. The country has roughly 1% of the world’s vehicles but accounts for 11 per cent of global road deaths. Shockingly, 66 per cent of those killed were between 18 and 34 years old, the most productive age group, and nearly 10,000 were school students. Seven in ten fatalities were linked to overspeeding.
Dhoni, known for his calm judgment under pressure, did not mince words when speaking about the issue. “A vehicle gives you freedom, but it also gives you responsibility,” he said. “On our roads, too many people still see safety as a rule to follow only when someone is watching. That mindset has cost us far too much.”
He added: “We already know what is going wrong. We know how many lives are being lost. What we need now is not more excuses. We need more responsibility, more discipline, and more respect for life.”
For Cars24, the association goes beyond a celebrity endorsement. Founder and CEO Vikram Chopra described Dhoni’s involvement as a game-changer: “His understanding of Indian roads is grounded in lived experience. He holds us to a higher standard and his involvement challenges us to push this mission further.”
Crashfree India aims to shift the national conversation on road safety from reaction to prevention, from accepting deaths as routine to treating them as the urgent failure they are. With Dhoni on board, the initiative gains a powerful, trusted voice that transcends statistics and connects directly with millions of Indians.
In a country where dangerous driving is too often mistaken for confidence, Dhoni’s message is refreshingly clear: true strength lies in control, discipline, and respect for life. When one of India’s most respected captains decides to lead this fight, the conversation suddenly becomes much harder to ignore.
The roads just got a new captain. And this time, the goal is not to win a trophy but to save lives.
