Brands
Cadbury 5 Star flips Valentine’s Day script with ‘one million dates’ stunt
MUMBAI: Cadbury 5 Star has ended its long-running campaign against Valentine’s Day with a playful reversal, announcing it would sponsor one million dates, before revealing the promise as a deliberate bluff rooted in its signature “Do nothing” philosophy.
The chocolate brand, known for poking fun at Valentine’s Day hype, unveiled the campaign through teaser and reveal films released on its YouTube channel. Conceived by Ogilvy India, the campaign initially claimed the brand would restore the occasion by funding research-backed Valentine’s Day itineraries inspired by the festival’s origins.
The reveal, however, delivered a twist: the so-called historical research suggested the purest way to honour the day of love was to spend it doing absolutely nothing, bringing the narrative back to Cadbury 5 Star’s irreverent brand positioning.
Mondelez India vice president – marketing Nitin Saini, said the campaign was designed to surprise audiences while reinforcing the brand’s relaxed, anti-hype stance on Valentine’s Day.
Ogilvy India chief creative officer Sukesh Kumar Nayak, said the idea took the brand in an unexpected direction by pretending to embrace romance before subverting it with humour.
The campaign is supported by a digital platform developed by Ogilvy’s creative tech team, where couples can sign up for the fictional sponsored dates.
Wavemaker, which handled media strategy, introduced Esther Howland, often associated with the early commercialisation of Valentine’s cards, as a tongue-in-cheek cultural disruptor, aimed at encouraging Gen Z consumers to opt out of performative romance.
Cadbury 5 Star is part of Mondelez India Foods, which has operated in the country for over 75 years and owns brands including Cadbury Dairy Milk, Silk, Perk, Fuse, Gems, Bournvita, Oreo and Tang
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.
