Brands
After Priyanka, Alia wants to know ‘Why should boys have all the fun?’
NEW DELHI: After Priyanka Chopra took to singing to have her fun, young petite Alia Bhatt has stepped in to ask viewers ‘Why should boys have all the fun?’.
Hero MotoCorp has released a new television commercial featuring Bhatt riding the new version of ‘Pleasure’, as the new brand ambassador for Hero MotoCorp replacing Priyanka.
Hero MotoCorp’s ‘Pleasure’ is one of the new generation scooters primarily meant for girls.
Earlier it was Honda Activa that grabbed everyone’s attention, and now it is the Pleasure. Not only for its beauty, but its 102cc four-stroke engine with power output of 6.74 Bhp and 7.4 Nm can give you an unforgettable ride.
The story line of the TVC shows Bhatt driving her Pleasure far away from the city. She smiles as she passes through a puddle of water. She stops for a while to steal an apple from a farmer’s apple cart and drives off as the farmer runs towards her. A young man asks for a lift but she stops for a second and drives, the camera focusing on the meter console. The screen then focuses on the tubeless tyres. She then stops at a dhaba smiling at two persons sitting there, and the screen concentrates on the mobile charger and integrated braking system. She then drives through a river, reaching her home in darkness where she replies in answer to a question that she had gone just to test the weather. The entire TV is accompanied by a Hindi-Punjabi-English song ending with the lines: ‘Why should boys have all the fun?’
The TVC also shows Pleasure does not feature gears which mean that one can easily drive it on empty roads as well as in jammed city traffic. This is the new version of Pleasure with new features and color combination. You can now have tubeless tires, drum combi braking system and ground clearance of 125 mm. The new Pleasure weighs about 103 kg, and the company is planning to introduce a few additional features like mobile charging socket and a side stand in a couple of months’ time. The fuel tank capacity of Pleasure is around five litre, and one gets enough space to store stuff under the seat.
Brands
Havas reports solid Q1 2026 with 2.5 per cent organic net revenue growth
Advertising group maintains positive momentum and confirms full-year guidance.
MUMBAI: Havas has started 2026 on a strong note proving that even in uncertain times, its converged model continues to deliver. The global advertising and communications group reported net revenue of €638 million for the first quarter of 2026, representing organic growth of +2.5 per cent compared to the same period last year. This performance was driven particularly by a robust +7.4 per cent organic growth in the United States.
Total revenue for the quarter reached €667 million, with organic growth of +2.8 per cent. Recent acquisitions contributed a positive scope impact of +1.7 per cent, while foreign exchange movements had a negative impact of -5.8 per cent, mainly due to the US dollar and British pound.
Europe, which accounts for 50 per cent of net revenue, delivered +1.1 per cent organic growth, supported by a good performance in France. North America (36 per cent of net revenue) led the way with +7.4 per cent growth, thanks to strong contributions from both Havas Creative and Havas Media. APAC & Africa (8 per cent) saw a decline of -6.2 per cent, while Latin America (6 per cent) remained nearly stable at -0.6 per cent.
Havas chairman and CEO Yannick Bolloré said, “Havas has started 2026 on a solid footing, continuing its momentum and delivering organic growth in net revenue of +2.5 per cent. This performance, in line with our full-year 2026 guidance, was driven in particular by continued strength in the US.”
The group also continued its bolt-on acquisition strategy, acquiring majority stakes in four agencies during the quarter: Acento Public Affairs (Spain), Ctrl Digital (Sweden), Styleheads (Germany), and Eyesight (France).
Havas maintained its strong creative reputation, ranking as a top holding company in the WARC Creative 100 for the sixth consecutive year, with three agencies BETC, Havas Paris, and Havas India placing in the Top 50.
Looking ahead, Havas confirmed its 2026 guidance: organic net revenue growth between +2.0 per cent and +3.0 per cent, adjusted EBIT margin between 13.2 per cent and 13.5 per cent, and a dividend payout ratio of around 40 per cent. The group also reiterated its medium-term targets for 2028.
Despite ongoing macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty, Havas enters the rest of the year with solid fundamentals and confidence in its ability to deliver sustainable, profitable growth.
In a challenging environment, Havas is proving that its integrated, client-centric model remains resilient delivering steady growth while continuing to invest in creativity and innovation. The first quarter results suggest the group is well-positioned to navigate the year ahead with confidence.
