MAM
AdNear raises Rs 350 mn from Sequoia and Canaan Partners
MUMBAI: Location-based mobile advertising platform AdNear raised Rs 350 million ($6.3 million) from Sequoia Capital and Canaan Partners in the first round of early-stage venture funding. The company leverages real-time geo-location, combined with consumer behaviour, to target relevant users.
The company intends to utilise the funds raised towards expanding its operations in the Asia Pacific region. AdNear is also looking at expanding its team. Currently, the company services clients across the Asia Pacific region including Australia apart from India and Singapore. AdNear has offices in Singapore and Bangalore.
AdNear was set up in 2009 by Anil Mathews and has offices in Singapore and Bengaluru. It was earlier called Imere Technologies. AdNear‘s ad platform is built on proprietary hybrid geo-location platform, which helps provide location awareness on mobile phones without GPS or operator assistance. Its clients include brands like Titan, Ford, Toyota, Pizza Hut, Samsung, Airtel and Nokia.
By leveraging real-time geo-location and combining it with consumer behaviour, the platform allows brands to target relevant users within a geo-fence. This allows them to reach out to a larger audience making the communication more geographically relevant for the advertiser and the consumer. The ad platform is available on smart phones and feature phones.
Canaan‘s current technology investments in India include Naaptol, BharatMatrimony and UnitedLex and Sequoia has invested in companies like Café Coffee Day, Idea Cellular, Just Dial, Manappuram Finance, Paras, Quick Heal, Micromax, Mu Sigma and Vasan Health Care.
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.
