Brands
Blackberrys gives digital mandate to FoxyMoron
MUMBAI: Menswear fashion brand Blackberrys has assigned its digital mandate to FoxyMoron after a multi-agency pitch. The account will be managed from the agency’s north office.
As per the mandate, FoxyMoron will be managing the digital creative, media, search engine optimisation as well as website maintenance and development duties. This entails strengthening the brand’s digital presence by showcasing their dynamic apparels and building a distinct brand personality.
Blackberrys vice president brand experience Ramesh Kaushik says, “As a brand we stand committed to our consumers, and hence need partners who are common to us in this cause. With a strong belief in good, relevant and useful content, our digital strategy is to break away from one-way disruption and engage consumers in co-created platforms. Just like Blackberrys wardrobe solutions, the heart of our digital strategy is in being ahead of times yet relevant, engaging our consumers in their journey towards success.”
FoxyMoron to us is a right fit since they have established credibility in the industry with their disruptive and differentiated approach, and have in depth knowledge of digital ecosystem. Given our clear focus on content and a two-way engagement, we are confident of FoxyMoron’s high-level understanding of Indian consumer, their tastes and preferences. They are aware of what our business needs with change in focus, scope and what is best in terms of engagement, measurements and sustainable approach,” he adds.
FoxyMoron creative director of north Gokul Pillai mentions, “Knowing that they are in the business of making men look good, it is going to be interesting working on this brand! We not only look forward to building the brand, but have strong vision and values to back the motive. We are determined to align our expertise to steer the brand towards its goals.”
FoxyMoron business head of north Prachi Bali adds, “To be their partners at a time when the brand is redefining itself and to be able to disseminate this message to an ever-changing digital audience is a job which requires a great deal of agile thinking and trust. We’re excited about the possibilities for the brand when it comes to chalking out a holistic strategy in terms of digital creative, media, technology, web and search.”
Brands
UK’s OnlyFans seeks US investor at $3bn valuation after owner’s death
The adult video platform is seeking stability after the death of its billionaire owner
LONDON: OnlyFans is looking for a new partner. The London-based adult video platform is in advanced talks to sell a minority stake of less than 20 per cent to Architect Capital, a San Francisco-based investment firm, in a deal that would value the business at more than $3bn (£2.2bn).
The move is driven by an urgent need for stability. Leonid Radvinsky, the Ukrainian-American billionaire who owned OnlyFans, died of cancer last month at the age of 43, leaving the future of one of Britain’s most profitable privately held businesses suddenly uncertain.
The choice of Architect Capital is not arbitrary. The firm has deep expertise in financial services, which aligns neatly with OnlyFans’ ambitions to offer banking products to its creators, many of whom have long struggled to access basic financial services because of the nature of their work.
The numbers behind OnlyFans are, by any measure, staggering. The platform posted revenues of $1.4bn in the year to 30th November 2024, with a pre-tax profit of $684m, up four per cent on the prior year. Payments to creators totalled $7.2bn over the same period, a rise of nearly ten per cent. Radvinsky personally collected $701m in dividends from the business in 2024 alone, on top of more than $1bn in such payments he had already received. The platform, run through its parent company Felix International, hosts 4.6m creator accounts, with performers keeping 80 per cent of subscription proceeds and the platform pocketing the remaining 20 per cent. It has 377m fan accounts in total.
The current minority stake talks represent a notable scaling back of ambitions. In January, OnlyFans was reported to be in discussions with Architect about selling a majority stake of 60 per cent. Before that, the company had explored a sale to a consortium led by Forest Road Company, a Los Angeles-based investment firm. Neither deal materialised.
OnlyFans has built an enormously lucrative business on content that mainstream finance has long refused to touch. Now, with its owner gone and a $3bn valuation on the table, it is looking for the kind of respectable institutional backing that might finally persuade the banks to take its calls.
