Brands
Bajaj Allianz Life sets Guinness Record with Plankathon
Mumbai: Bajaj Allianz Life, one of the life insurers, organized the fourth edition of #Plankathon in Bengaluru’s Sri Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium to celebrate the Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) remarkable achievements with Chandrayaan and the Solar Mission, Aditya L1. The on-ground Plankathon event was a culmination of the Company’s hugely popular campaign #PlankForAces which invited Indians to come together to thank the brilliant scientists at ISRO, by uploading their video of holding the abdominal plank.
The Plankathon event in Bengaluru was graced by N Sudheer Kumar, director, of Capacity Building & Public Outreach, Indian Space Research Organisation HQ. Taapsee Pannu, one of the most dynamic female actors in Indian cinema, has several popular Hindi movies under her belt including Mission Mangal and most recently Dunki championed the entire Plankathon event on the ground. Chandramohan Mehra, chief marketing officer, of Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance, was also present along with Pannu. Guinness World Records adjudicator declared Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance as a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title holder for the largest online video album of people holding the abdominal plank position. #PlankforAces saw 5,194 videos being uploaded by people from all segments.
Addressing those present at Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance’s Plankathon 2024, N Sudheer Kumar, director, of Capacity Building & Public Outreach, Indian Space Research Organisation HQ, said, “This is indeed an extraordinary event that showcases the collective Indian spirit. With initiatives like #PlankForAces, Bajaj Allianz Life has brought together several thousands by igniting their passion for their country, as well as their motivation to stay fit and healthy. We appreciate and thank everyone who has participated for their efforts. Your wishes will further fuel our endeavour to make India proud, as we set our focus on the new frontiers within space research.”
Commenting on the success of #PlankForAces and setting a new world record for the Company, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance chief marketing officer Chandramohan Mehra said, “Bajaj Allianz Life Plankathon has evolved to be more than India’s flagship fitness initiative, that captures the sentiment of India. We are thankful to tens of thousands of participants who planked offline and online to express their admiration towards ISRO’s outstanding accomplishments that make us all immensely proud. Anything less than the world-record-breaking feat would have been inadequate to the applause ISRO deserves.”
Actor Taapsee Pannu and the lead female actor from Bollywood’s Mission Mangal commented, “The #PlankForAces movement was especially close to me and was equally inspirational as it was such a unique campaign on fitness that brought so many people together, as it was an opportunity to thank our scientists from ISRO! I congratulate Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance on their fourth edition of Plankathon and for their new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title I hope everyone who planked today, or uploaded their videos for #PlankForAces, continue their health and fitness movement and many more join as well for us to be a healthier and more vibrant community.”
Taapsee Pannu led the on-ground event of #PlankForAces of Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance not only because of her immediate association with the popular Indian movie Mission Mangal but also for the fervour and enthusiasm that the actor brings to all her roles. She has played the lead in several extraordinary movies across genres that either have a flavour of strong message for society, being independent, fitness or sports. These attributes made her the prime choice to lead the fourth edition of Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance’s flagship event Plankathon, which was designed to promote India’s uniqueness as well as health and fitness amongst the citizens.
Brands
Kansai Nerolac tests paint in stratosphere for durability proof
Excel Everlast sent to 86,000 ft, survives -64°C and extreme UV exposure
MUMBAI: If walls could talk, this one would say it’s been to space and back. Kansai Nerolac has taken product testing to dizzying new heights quite literally by sending its exterior paint into the stratosphere in a bid to prove durability beyond the lab. In what the company calls a first for the Indian paint industry, a stratospheric balloon carried a payload coated with its Excel Everlast paint to an altitude of 86,000 feet above Earth. Up there, conditions are less “extreme weather” and more “near space”: temperatures drop below -64°C, ultraviolet radiation hits unfiltered, and atmospheric pressure is only a fraction of what it is at sea level.
Most materials struggle to survive such a hostile environment. This one didn’t. According to the campaign, the painted surface returned intact no visible damage, no compromise effectively turning a marketing claim into a high-altitude experiment.
The initiative, conceptualised by ULKA, moves away from simulated lab tests to something far more theatrical and verifiable. The campaign film documents the entire journey, positioning the exercise as proof rather than promise.
The test also doubles as a showcase for the Excel Everlast range, which includes features such as nano-silica-based protection, 30 per cent higher toughness and crack-bridging capability, along with a 20-year warranty claims now dramatised under conditions few buildings will ever face.
For Kansai Nerolac, the stunt is less about spectacle and more about signalling intent: in a category often dominated by functional messaging, it’s an attempt to turn durability into something tangible and memorable.
Because when your paint survives near-space, the neighbourhood monsoon suddenly feels like a very small test.
