MAM
Brands unveil their inner cupid ahead of Valentine’s Day
Mumbai: Love is in the air.. it is on your smartphone screen.. it is on the biggest hoardings, it is everywhere! It is that time of the year when romance takes centre-stage and whether one likes it or not, one cannot escape the blitzkrieg of mushiness coming our way. This Valentine’s Day, brands rekindle the love with their consumers with something for everyone- from singletons to pet parents, and of course, for the lovebirds, as they try to break away from the traditional and clichéd V-day concepts.
Here are some that caught our eye:
Mondelez India
Recognising the reality that with V-day just around the corner there are going to be two kinds of people – The ones in love and the ones who are sick of the ones in love aka, The singles, chocolate company, Mondelez India’s two major brands have launched campaigns that are at loggerheads too! So, on one hand, we have Cadbury Dairy catering to those in love and on the opposite end, there is Cadbury 5 Star cheering on and backing the singles with two innovative tech-savvy campaigns.
Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk
Conceptualised by Ogilvy, Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk’s ‘How Far Will You Go To Make Them Blush’ campaign set to its popular jingle, aims to get young hearts aflutter across the country with a special pack- QR Codes on the Silk Valentines’ Day packs, that lead consumers to a microsite where they can create and share custom messages with their special someone.
In a first, the brand has introduced real-time personalisation of augmented reality experience with help from its tech partner, 8th Wall, that enables consumers to unlock the advert to see custom messages sent by their loved ones in a fully immersive 360-degree virtual environment. By scanning any Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk hoarding, print advertisement etc with the special AR filter, the receiver will be able to see the secret message come alive on the ad.
Cadbury 5 Star
On the other hand, Cadbury 5 Star has launched an innovative campaign that attempts to save singles from the dreaded question – ‘What Are You Doing on Valentine’s Day?’. The brand has planned the perfect getaway for them by crafting ‘The Perfect Alibi’ campaign. For this, the brand has gone to the extent of taking over an island located off the coast of Karnataka and renamed it ‘My Cousin’s Wedding’ – as the perfect alibi for singles looking to get away from the pressure of having a Valentine or of going on a date. Consumers can join the fun by scanning the special Valentine’s Day Cadbury 5 Star packs, which will give them a chance to win a trip to the Island to enjoy a host of ‘Do-Nothing’ experiences.
Skinn by Titan
Skinn, a fine fragrance brand from the house of Titan, released a digital film featuring the Bollywood actor Sanya Malhotra and upcoming OTT star Suhail Nayyar on the special occasion. Conceptualised by Ogilvy South, the #BestSaidWithSKINN campaign celebrates imperfectly perfect relationships by capturing the finer nuances of love which are not only about sparks flying in the air but more about the familiarity and deep sense of assurance that comes over a period of time.
FreshToHome
FreshToHome attempts to give a fresh spin on Valentine’s Day with its #FreshValentines campaign. The online brand in fresh fish and meat e-commerce seeks to break the V-Day stereotype by replacing traditional and cliched ways of proposing with newer, quirky ways of expressing love. The brand’s V-Day spot showcases a sea-food-loving couple that find ways to ‘keep it fresh.’ The film has the foodie protagonist proposing with a twist- calamari rings, instead of with a regular ring. It also got food blogger Influencers to replace a bouquet of roses with a bouquet of skewered kebabs.
Mobilla
The Lifestyle and mobile accessories brand in India announced its latest brand campaign ‘Tale of Two- Trilogy’ ahead of Valentine’s day. Conceptualised by the brand’s internal creative team, and featuring digital creators Virti Vaghani and Samkit Shah the digital marketing campaign consists of three slice of life films created around light-hearted everyday moments.
PokerBaazi.com
Homegrown online poker platform from the house of Baazi Games is celebrating the season of love with its unusual campaign “Don’t Be Single, Be The Golden Single.” For this, the gaming platform added the age-old question- “What To Do on Valentine’s Day When You Are Single?” to its FAQs section and made it rewarding with a fun integration on the application. Players stand a chance to win a free ticket to the Golden Rush Tournament at the National Poker Series 2022 to be held in March.
Wiggles.in
For all the pet parents out there, the D2C preventive pet care brand has launched #LoveIsInTheCare, a digital marketing campaign dedicated to feline love ahead of Valentine’s Day, in a bid to encourage pet parents to never give up on caring for their pets. Crafted around the core thought that the ultimate form of love is care, the campaign brings to light different aspects of pet care.
Brands
Jubilant FoodWorks faces Rs 47.5 crore GST demand, plans appeal
Tax authorities flag alleged misclassification of restaurant services
MUMBAI: Jubilant FoodWorks Limited has landed in a tax tussle after receiving a GST demand of Rs 47.5 crore from the office of the additional commissioner of CGST and central excise in Thane, Maharashtra.
The order, issued under the provisions of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, relates to an alleged incorrect classification of certain services under the category of restaurant services. According to the tax authorities, this classification resulted in a short payment of goods and services tax for the period between the financial years 2019-20 and 2021-22.
The demand includes Rs 47.5 crore in GST along with an equal amount as penalty, in addition to applicable interest. The order was received by the company on March 13, 2026.
In a regulatory filing to the BSE Limited and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited, the company said it disagrees with the order and believes its arguments were not adequately considered.
The company is preparing to challenge the decision and plans to file an appeal. It added that once the redressal process is complete, the demand is likely to be dropped.
Despite the sizeable figure attached to the notice, the company said it does not expect any material impact on its financials, operations or other activities.
The disclosure was signed by Suman Hegde, EVP and chief financial officer, who confirmed that the company received the order at 19:06 IST on March 13 and has already initiated steps to contest it.
The development places the quick service restaurant major in the middle of a tax debate that could hinge on how certain restaurant-linked services are classified under GST rules. For now, the company appears ready to take the matter from the tax office to the appeals desk.
