Brands
Cheetah Ad Div rebranded, AppLock impressions increase
MUMBAI: Cheetah Mobile Inc., one of the leading mobile utility and content app developers, has rebranded its ad business in India as Cheetah Ads, with a renewed focus on bringing vertical video ads to the market. Cheetah Mobile also revealed that impressions of Cheetah Mobile’s popular AppLock feature have reached 200 million per day in India, making it one of the most successful markets for the product.
AppLock safeguards users’ privacy by creating password-protected lock screens for individual apps. The feature is most frequently used to unlock social apps where people share personal data and require the utmost privacy.
A recent report produced by Cheetah Lab titled “Using Utility Apps to Realize the Value of Brand Ads on Social Apps” shows that the top five countries using AppLock are the United States, India, Brazil, Mexico and Indonesia, with India ranked 2nd. A closer look shows that among the top 10 most frequently locked apps, the top two are social apps.
AppLock offers brands a “pre-social moment,” the opportunity to engage with a customer before diving into a social app. AppLock supports customizable video, GIF and interactive ad formats with Cheetah Mobile’s industry-leading big data and targeting capabilities. It also allows brands to showcase 9 different product images on the lock screen. Through AppLock, brands can reach their best audiences without advertising within the social apps themselves.
Cheetah Ads places beautiful, full-screen vertical video ads in a wide range of user contexts – from pre-social moments like AppLock, where brands can reach users before they unlock their favorite social apps; to in-social activity within popular influencer-powered apps like musical.ly and Live.me; to personalized content moments in News Republic; and utility moments in apps like Clean Master and Battery Doctor.
Formerly known as Cheetah Ad Platform, Cheetah Mobile’s ad business has operated in India since launching there in September 2015.
Speaking at ad:tech 2017, Cheetah Mobiles GM – international ad sales Morden Chen said, “Cheetah Ads India will make the advertising experience smarter and better for users and brand advertisers. As Cheetah Mobile advances its content+utility app strategy, Cheetah Ads will focus on bringing vertical video ads to every kind of mobile moment.”
“We are thrilled with the success of AppLock in India. The feature’s 200 million daily impressions have contributed to making Cheetah Ads one of the top mobile advertising players in the country. With its huge mobile user base and fast-growing marketplace, India is a key country for us, and we will continue innovating to meet the evolving needs of the growing mobile users,” Chen added.
Brands
Myntra revives ‘Fashion ki Adalat’ to put social judgments on trial for International Women’s Day
Courtroom satire stars Lisa Ray and Archana Puran Singh
NATIONAL: Ahead of International Women’s Day, fashion e-commerce platform Myntra has revived its social campaign Fashion ki Adalat, expanding the idea of societal judgment beyond clothing choices.
The latest instalment of the campaign features actor and model Lisa Ray in a satirical courtroom drama that puts everyday scrutiny of women’s choices on trial. Veteran actor Archana Puran Singh reprises her role as the presiding judge, delivering the verdict in a humorous yet pointed narrative.
Set inside a stylised courtroom, the campaign frames the case as “Society vs Her Choices,” turning familiar criticisms into formal accusations. Through humour and satire, the film examines how women’s decisions, ranging from fashion and career to marriage and identity, are frequently judged across different stages of life.
The narrative traces three phases of Lisa Ray’s life. At 18, her independence is framed as defiance. Later, after marriage, her decision not to change her surname is questioned. In midlife, her ambition and bold self-expression are again scrutinised. Each moment is met with sharp retorts that challenge social expectations and reinforce the campaign’s central message: personal expression should not be subject to public approval.
With Fashion ki Adalat 2.0, Myntra is attempting to broaden last year’s conversation from defending individual fashion choices to questioning the impulse to judge them altogether.
“Self-expression is often met with unsolicited scrutiny,” said Myntra head of social media marketing and creator ecosystem Monalisa Panda. “Through this campaign we wanted to spotlight that reality and celebrate individuality across life stages.”
Created and produced by Ideaz Farm, the film was directed by Yash Danak, with creative direction by Katya Mohan and Rishi P Ekta Taak and Prasanna Shetty served as producers, while P Kalyani Sunil handled cinematography.
The campaign forms part of Myntra’s wider push to position fashion and beauty as tools of personal identity and self-expression for younger consumers across India.
