MAM
Bishwajeet Samal to head marketing at Volkswagen India
MUMBAI: In a bid to further strengthen its core team, Volkswagen, Europe’s leading car manufacturer, has appointed Bishwajeet Samal as the head of marketing for Volkswagen passenger cars in India.
Samal is currently responsible for regional marketing, international communications at Volkswagen AG, Germany.
Saman joined Volkswagen India in 2008 and returns to the homeland with over a decade of experience within the brand Volkswagen. Mr. Samal’s appointment will be effective 1st June 2018.
Volkswagen passenger cars, Volkswagen group sales India director Steffen Knapp says, “At Volkswagen, nurturing in-house talent and offering a diverse platform of enhanced learning is at the core of our brand philosophy. We are confident that Bishwajeet’s extensive experience in Marketing shall contribute to our growth in India.”
Speaking on his appointment, Bishwajeet Samal mentions, “I am extremely overwhelmed to have returned to India and working in this dynamic market. I look forward towards further strengthening the brands’ presence in India.”
Samal will be reporting to Steffen Knapp, director of Volkswagen passenger cars India.
MAM
Kelvinator launches ‘Summer Paused’ AC activation in Mumbai
Three day Carter Road stunt targets Gen Z with interactive cooling experience
MUMBAI: Mumbai’s heatwave met its match and briefly, even time seemed to freeze. Kelvinator has rolled out an on-ground activation titled ‘Summer Paused’ at Carter Road Promenade, turning a busy seaside stretch into a surreal, snow-dusted spectacle to spotlight its heavy-duty air conditioners. At the heart of the installation is a live performer suspended mid-motion, staged as a “frozen” figure amid artificial snow and icy backdrops. The visual contrast chilled theatrics against Mumbai’s peak summer does the heavy lifting, translating a product promise into something passers-by can literally see and feel.
The objective is clear: cut through seasonal advertising clutter and make cooling tangible. Rather than leaning on traditional messaging, the brand is betting on experiential storytelling to drive recall and social media traction.
The three-day activation is designed to be more than a static display. Interactive formats such as ‘Break the Freeze’, ‘Brain Freeze’, and ‘The Staredown’ invite visitors to engage directly, nudging them from spectators to participants. An Instagram-led mechanic further amplifies the effort, encouraging user-generated content and extending the campaign’s reach beyond its physical footprint.
The choice of location and format signals a sharp focus on younger, digital-first audiences Gen Z and millennials who frequent high-footfall urban hotspots and are more likely to share immersive experiences online.
Behind the theatrics sits a broader product push. Kelvinator’s latest AC range is positioned around smart technology, energy efficiency, and durability, tailored to increasingly unpredictable and intense Indian summers. But instead of listing features, the campaign opts to dramatise the outcome: cooling so effective, it can “pause” summer itself.
In a category where every brand promises relief, Kelvinator is trying to make that promise visible, one frozen moment at a time.
