MAM
Ad Club Bombay’s Ad review on 17 February
MUMBAI: The day of reckoning – 17 February 2003 at 5:45 pm; the venue- Presidential Room, Hotel President, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai; the event- Ad Club Bombay’s ‘Annual Ad Review’!
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Pepsi Co India chairman Rajeev Bakshi |
The entire Indian ad industry will wait for the expert opinion of Pepsi chairman Rajeev Bakshi, the genius who has taken MNC giants Pepsi and Cadbury from strength to strength.
Bakshi has been acclaimed for the way in which he turned around Cadbury India’s fortunes. Bakshi had been with Cadbury for more than a decade. For eight years, he was designated as the VP for marketing and sales for Cadbury India post which he was sent to the parent company’s headquarters in London for a stint. He returned back and was appointed as managing director of Cadbury India.
In February 2001 Bakshi was moved to South Africa as managing director and Matthew Cadbury, son of Cadbury Schweppes board chairman Adrian Cadbury succeeded him in India.
The Ad Club review session on 17 February will look at the year’s (2002) work in the most objective manner possible. Bakshi will focus on the landmarks of the year 2002. Picking out the best, pointing out the flaws, suggesting remedies, projecting trends… it’s a soul-searching exercise for the entire industry. Over the years, the occasion has been graced by ad greats like Alyque Padamsee, Ivan Arthur, Gautam Rakshit, Ishan Raina, Mohammed Khan and Piyush Pandey.
Also read
Digital
India leads global adoption of ChatGPT Images 2.0 in first week
From anime avatars to fantasy covers, users turn AI visuals into culture
NEW DELHI: India has emerged as the largest user base for ChatGPT Images 2.0, just a week after its launch by OpenAI, underlining the country’s growing influence on global internet trends.
While the tool was introduced as an advanced image-generation upgrade within ChatGPT, Indian users are quickly reshaping its purpose. Instead of sticking to productivity-led use cases, many are embracing it as a creative playground for self-expression, storytelling and online identity.
From anime-style portraits and cinematic headshots to tarot-inspired visuals and fictional newspaper front pages, the model is being used to create highly stylised, shareable content. Features such as accurate text rendering, multilingual prompts and the ability to generate detailed visuals with minimal input have helped drive rapid adoption.
What sets the latest model apart is its ability to “think” through prompts, generating multiple outputs and adapting to context, including real-time web inputs. But the bigger story lies in how users are engaging with it.
In India, trends are already taking shape. Popular formats include dramatic studio-style lighting edits, LinkedIn-ready headshots, manga-inspired avatars, soft pastel “spring” aesthetics, AI-led fashion moodboards, paparazzi-style visuals and fantasy newspaper covers. Users are also restoring old photographs, creating tarot-style imagery and experimenting with futuristic design concepts.
Local flavour is adding another layer. Prompts such as cinematic portrait collages and Y2K-inspired romantic edits are gaining traction, blending global aesthetics with distinctly Indian internet culture.
The surge reflects a broader shift in how AI tools are being used in the country, moving beyond utility to creativity. As younger users, creators and social media enthusiasts experiment with new visual formats, AI-generated imagery is increasingly becoming part of everyday digital expression.
If early trends hold, ChatGPT Images 2.0 may not just be a tech upgrade but a cultural moment, giving millions a new visual language to play with online.
