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Ashwanii Dandonaa joins Brut India as chief commercial officer
NEW DELHI: Brut India has brought a familiar rainmaker into its corner. Ashwanii Dandonaa has been appointed chief commercial officer, tasking him with sharpening the digital publisher’s commercial edge while staying true to its distinctive editorial tone.
With over two decades of experience across digital media, branded content and business development, Dandonaa arrives with a reputation for turning conversations into commerce. Most recently, he served as business head for branded partnerships at Fork Media Group, where he helped scale revenue across platforms including Curly Tales, Mashable and IGN, while also building a pan-India government business vertical from the ground up.
In his new role, Dandonaa will focus on driving sustainable revenue growth, forging meaningful brand partnerships and ensuring Brut’s commercial ambitions move in sync with its bold storytelling. Announcing the move, he said he was excited to begin the next chapter at Brut India and thanked Mehak Kasbekar, Elsa Darquier and Claude Lesterlin for the opportunity.
From television heavyweights like Star India, NDTV and Viacom18 to digital-first newsrooms such as The Quint and Arré, Dandonaa’s career has spanned nearly every shade of the media spectrum. At Brut India, that breadth of experience now finds a new stage, one where culture, content and commerce meet in the scroll.
MAM
Budweiser launches ‘Let It Pour’ platform for FIFA World Cup 2026
Campaign spans 40 plus markets with fan events, merchandise and global film.
MUMBAI: When the whistle blows, Budweiser wants the celebrations to flow just as freely. The beer brand has unveiled ‘Let It Pour’, its global football platform for the FIFA World Cup 2026, kicking off a four-year build-up with a campaign designed to turn fandom into a shared, full-throttle experience. Rolling out across more than 40 countries, including India, the initiative blends on-ground activations, merchandise and a star-led global film to capture the emotional surge of the sport’s biggest stage.
At the centre of the campaign are football heavyweights Erling Haaland and Jürgen Klopp, who front the messaging around passion, performance and collective celebration. For Haaland, set to make his FIFA World Cup debut in 2026, the platform mirrors the intensity of a moment he has long worked towards, while Klopp lends his signature energy to amplify the spirit of fans coming together.
The campaign’s global film leans into that shared emotion where matches spill beyond stadiums into homes, bars and city streets over the tournament’s 39-day run. Set to Joe Cocker’s Feelin’ Alright, it captures how football blurs boundaries, turning strangers into teammates and moments into memories.
Beyond storytelling, Budweiser is building a broader ecosystem around the campaign. The Bud Fan Store will offer exclusive tournament-inspired merchandise, from football kits to branded apparel, while Bud FC developed with Wink will host experiential fan events across select markets, recreating stadium-like energy in festival settings.
India forms a key part of this push. With football fandom on the rise, particularly among younger audiences, Budweiser 0.0 is positioned to anchor local activations, bringing fans closer to the global spectacle through community-led experiences.
The move reinforces Budweiser’s four-decade association with the FIFA World Cup, but also signals an evolution in approach. Instead of simply sponsoring the game, the brand is leaning into culture creating multiple touchpoints where fans can participate, not just watch.
In a tournament where every goal sparks a reaction, Budweiser is betting that the real win lies in how loudly and how collectively that reaction pours out.
