Brands
Agoda checks in with star power to sell ‘amazing hotel prices’
MUMBAI: If travel deals had a fan club, Sunil Grover, Ekta Kapoor, Chunky Panday and Varun Sharma just signed up as founding members. Digital travel platform Agoda has rolled out a high-spirited, multi-film campaign titled “Amazing Hotel Prices”, tapping four of India’s biggest entertainment personalities to bring its surprisingly low domestic hotel rates to life. The films, bursting with comedic timing and chaotic charm, spotlight Agoda’s discounts of up to 50 per cent on select stays launched just in time for India’s busiest travel season.
Each ad leans into a simple but sharply observed insight: Indians love a good bargain, especially when it comes wrapped in comfort, convenience and a little drama. True to Agoda’s playful persona, the films place the stars in exaggerated situations where their spontaneous reactions mirror every traveller’s delight at stumbling upon a deal they didn’t expect.
The campaign conceptualised and produced with Collective Artists Network has been released across digital and social platforms, with each film headlined by a familiar face:
• Sunil Grover: https://www.instagram.com/p/DRJ7yxgjNTZ/
• Ekta Kapoor: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRWblS9in8k/
• Chunky Panday: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRJ8MUqARVn/
• Varun Sharma: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRHYWPTitUU/
“With travel’s high season upon us in India, we know great hotel prices play a huge role in trip-planning decisions,” said Agoda country director for the Indian Subcontinent and Indian Ocean Islands Gaurav Malik. “Sunil, Ekta, Chunky and Varun each bring their own distinct humour, helping us speak to audiences in a language they love.”
Adding to that, Big Bang Social co-founder & CRO and Collective Artists Network CEO Sudeep Subash noted, “A great campaign is more than marketing; it’s about telling real stories people remember. This one captures the joy and spontaneity of finding great hotel deals, as showcased beautifully by the artists.”
And audiences seem to agree. Within just the first few weeks of launch, the campaign has already clocked nearly 100 million impressions across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and the talents’ personal handles underscoring Agoda’s growing momentum in India’s swelling travel market.
With the “Amazing Hotel Prices” push, Agoda doubles down on its promise of value, choice and ease for Indian travellers booking domestic stays. Because as these films cheekily suggest, nothing beats the thrill of a great hotel deal especially when celebrities are losing their minds over it too.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
