Brands
After Alia, Gionee ropes in Virat Kohli
MUMBAI: Gionee clocks 1.20 cr customers in India and announced ace cricketer and the captain of the Indian Cricket Team Virat Kohli as their new brand ambassador.
Kohli will soon be seen in the upcoming campaign of Gionee, and will also be actively involved in a host of innovative marketing and customer experience initiatives of the brand. Gionee had roped in actor Alia Bhatt as it’s brand ambassador a few months ago and he is joining her in helping the brand touch new heights.
The company grew twice as much as the last fiscal year and has ambitious targets for this year as well. It undertook several strategic steps in recent times to further consolidate it’s position. It rolled out a global re-branding exercise with a new logo and tagline, “Make Smiles” along with signing on an MoU to put up it’s own manufacturing unit in India.
The association with Virat Kohli will further enable the brand to carry forward it’s high decibel visibility and connect.
On the partnership, Gionee India country CEO and MD Arvind.R Vohra said “ India is one of the fastest growing young economies in the world and Gionee takes immense pride in having India’s biggest youth icons Virat Kohli and Alia Bhatt as its brand endorsers. With the two of the most loved icons in India our motto of Making Smiles is bound to create a new benchmark across billions of young hearts.”
On the association, Kohli said “I play my game with dignity and passion and apply the same rule in choosing my partnerships. Gionee comes across as a brand that is fueled by passion, determination and focus to innovate and perform and with all of this have it’s heart in the right place by giving back to society. Thus, I feel and believe that this association will go a long way. I am very excited to start this journey with Gionee.”
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.
