MAM
Arun Sharma appointed as DDB Mudra head of planning
MUMBAI: DDB Mudra has roped in Arun Sharma as head of planning, DDB Mudra Delhi. He will report in to DDB Mudra senior vice president Aditya Kanthy.
Arun will be working on the agency’s client roster including Wrigley’s, Bata, Carrier Midea, India Yamaha Motors and Dabur among others.
Arun joins DDB Mudra Delhi from Contract Advertising where he was VP, strategic planning. On joining DDB Mudra, Arun said, “DDB Mudra has a well known culture of planning and it’s an opportunity for me to partner Vandana and Aditya in implementing the bold planning vision for the agency.”
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With over 14 years of experience, Arun has worked on automobiles, telecom, confectionery, education, home appliances and airlines to name a few.
Commenting on Arun’s appointment, DDB Mudra Group, Delhi president Vandana Das said, “I Welcome Arun to the DDB Mudra Group family. He has vast experience across categories and I’m sure with his experience, he would be able to add value to all our current businesses and also towards our new business initiatives.”
Adding to this, DDB Mudra senior VP planning Aditya Kanthy said, “Arun is a bright, ambitious and full of energy – just the kind of person we were looking for to lead our terrific young planners in Delhi. His experience is a good match for our client profile. He should have no trouble easing into our culture. I’m sure he’ll enjoy it.”
In his earlier stints with leading agencies like Lowe, Saatchi & Saatchi and Rediffusion Y&R he got the opportunity to work on some of the largest brands in the country like Airtel, Hyundai, and Maruti Suzuki.
Arun also had a two-year stint with ABN Amro Bank, before Contract, where he was one of the key persons responsible for the launch of ABN AMRO Broking, the retail brokerage division of ABN AMRO and managed NRI Banking.
MAM
Lego brings Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Vinicius together
Campaign clocks 314 million views ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 buzz.
MUMBAI: Four legends, one frame and not a single tackle in sight. Lego has pulled off a crossover few thought possible, uniting Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior in a single campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 only this time, they’re building dreams brick by brick.
Titled “Everyone wants a piece”, the campaign features the quartet assembling a Lego version of the World Cup trophy, before placing miniature versions of themselves atop it, a playful nod to football’s ultimate prize. Shared widely across social media, the ad carries a pointed disclaimer: it is not AI-generated, a subtle but telling signal in an era where even reality is often questioned.
The numbers tell their own story. The campaign has already crossed 314 million views on Instagram across the players’ accounts, with fans hailing it as a rare, almost nostalgic moment particularly for the reunion of Messi and Ronaldo, whose last shared campaign ahead of the 2022 World Cup became one of the platform’s most-liked posts.
Beyond the film, Lego is extending the play with exclusive, player-themed sets tied to each of the four stars, part of a broader football-led programme designed to ride the global momentum building towards 2026. The idea, as echoed by the players themselves, leans into the parallels between football and play experimentation, creativity, failure, and triumph.
Messi described the sets as a way to bring on-pitch moments into an imaginative, hands-on world, while Ronaldo called the transformation into a Lego figure a rare honour, blending sport with storytelling. Vinícius, meanwhile, struck a more personal note, recalling childhood moments of building with Lego and framing creativity as a universal language that transcends borders.
The timing is no accident. With the 2026 World Cup set to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and featuring an expanded 48-team format, global anticipation is already building. Argentina, led by Messi, will enter as defending champions, adding another layer of intrigue.
For Lego, the campaign does more than celebrate football, it taps into its mythology. Because when icons become figurines and rivalries turn into play, the beautiful game finds a new kind of pitch. one built, quite literally, by hand.
