Brands
82.5 Communications secures creative mandate for Bacardi India’s brands
MUMBAI: When has Bacardi not turned the mundane into a memory, setting the rhythm at your favorite club, igniting laughter at house parties, or simply elevating your spirits with every pour? Always, right? Well, hold onto your glasses because Bacardi India has just uncorked a game-changer!
In a bold, electrifying move, the brand is ready to shake up the world of advertising by teaming up with 82.5 Communications. And at the helm of this creative storm? None other than the chief creative officer, Anuraag Khandelwal, with a proven flair for crafting iconic campaigns.
This partnership isn’t just about marketing—it’s a pledge to reimagine storytelling, connect with consumers like never before, and launch Bacardi’s brands into an orbit of innovation and excitement.
Get ready for campaigns that’ll make heads turn and glasses clink!
Emerging as the ideal partner after a rigorous pitch process, 82.5 Communications impressed with its dynamic ideas and marketing solutions. The agency will also play a pivotal role in supporting Bacardi India’s upcoming product launches, ensuring a cohesive and memorable brand presence.
Sharing his excitement, Bacardi India and neighbouring regions, marketing director, Mahesh Kanchan remarked, “This partnership with 82.5 Communications will bring a fresh perspective resonating deeply with Indian consumers. Together, we aim to create moments that matter and drive unforgettable consumer experiences.”
Reflecting on this collaboration, 82.5 Communications chief creative officer, Khandelwal stated, “I’m thrilled to be part of this journey with Bacardi India Private Limited. We’re focused on creating impactful brand stories that redefine category codes and build meaningful connections with consumers.”
82.5 Communications, president north & east, Chandana Agarwal added, “Both Bacardi India and 82.5 Communications share a passion for excellence and storytelling. We are confident that together we will create magic and bring a fresh perspective to the market.”
Brands
UK’s OnlyFans seeks US investor at $3bn valuation after owner’s death
The adult video platform is seeking stability after the death of its billionaire owner
LONDON: OnlyFans is looking for a new partner. The London-based adult video platform is in advanced talks to sell a minority stake of less than 20 per cent to Architect Capital, a San Francisco-based investment firm, in a deal that would value the business at more than $3bn (£2.2bn).
The move is driven by an urgent need for stability. Leonid Radvinsky, the Ukrainian-American billionaire who owned OnlyFans, died of cancer last month at the age of 43, leaving the future of one of Britain’s most profitable privately held businesses suddenly uncertain.
The choice of Architect Capital is not arbitrary. The firm has deep expertise in financial services, which aligns neatly with OnlyFans’ ambitions to offer banking products to its creators, many of whom have long struggled to access basic financial services because of the nature of their work.
The numbers behind OnlyFans are, by any measure, staggering. The platform posted revenues of $1.4bn in the year to 30th November 2024, with a pre-tax profit of $684m, up four per cent on the prior year. Payments to creators totalled $7.2bn over the same period, a rise of nearly ten per cent. Radvinsky personally collected $701m in dividends from the business in 2024 alone, on top of more than $1bn in such payments he had already received. The platform, run through its parent company Felix International, hosts 4.6m creator accounts, with performers keeping 80 per cent of subscription proceeds and the platform pocketing the remaining 20 per cent. It has 377m fan accounts in total.
The current minority stake talks represent a notable scaling back of ambitions. In January, OnlyFans was reported to be in discussions with Architect about selling a majority stake of 60 per cent. Before that, the company had explored a sale to a consortium led by Forest Road Company, a Los Angeles-based investment firm. Neither deal materialised.
OnlyFans has built an enormously lucrative business on content that mainstream finance has long refused to touch. Now, with its owner gone and a $3bn valuation on the table, it is looking for the kind of respectable institutional backing that might finally persuade the banks to take its calls.
