MAM
Cannes Lions broadens den with ‘creative’ slogan
MUMBAI: The Cannes Lions festival has announced that it will change its creative slogan from “The International Advertising Festival” to “The International Festival of Creativity”, which reflects the widening scope of the event.
The move reflects the transformation of Cannes Lions over the last few years as the event now recognises creative excellence not just in advertising but in all forms of communications.
Originally known as the International Advertising Film Festival with only TV and Cinema ads being judged, the Festival has changed in recent years to embrace communications in the broadest sense.
The organisers of the events explained that this change comes as a response to industry feedback to make its tagline more relevant.
“If you view the work and listen to the conversations taking place at Cannes Lions, you realise very quickly that the event has evolved way beyond pure advertising,” says Festival CEO Philip Thomas. “Apart from the welcome attendance of Design, Media, PR, Activation and other professionals from all forms of communications, the winning work at Cannes can no longer be described as being simply ‘Advertising‘. Many of the Grands Prix are now being awarded to experiences, technologies, social media, user-generated content, services, events – the options for marketers now are rich and diverse, and we need to embrace that change. It‘s important that Cannes Lions offers a global event that is relevant to the industry, and having listened to feedback from many industry leaders, we feel that now is the right time to truly reflect what the Festival has become.”
Next year 13 categories that will be honoured are film, press, outdoor, cyber, media, direct, radio, promo & activation, design, PR, film craft, titanium & integrated and the recently launched creative effectiveness.
Brands
Magnum Ice Cream Netherlands takes control of Kwality Wall’s India from Unilever
61.9 per cent stake transfer reshapes ownership as Unilever exits promoter role
MUMBAI: Kwality Wall’s (India) Limited has entered a new chapter, with The Magnum Ice Cream Company HoldCo 1 Netherlands B.V. acquiring a controlling 61.9 per cent stake from a clutch of Unilever PLC-led entities, marking a significant shift in ownership.
The transaction, completed on March 30, 2026, follows a share purchase agreement signed in June 2025. The incoming promoter picked up over 145 crore equity shares, effectively taking control of the company and being formally classified as its new promoter under regulatory norms.
As part of the deal, the outgoing promoter group, including Unilever Group Limited and its affiliated entities, has fully exited its shareholding in the company. They have now been reclassified from promoter to public shareholders, closing a long-standing association with the ice cream business in India.
The board of Kwality Wall’s (India) Limited took note of the ownership change and approved a series of leadership updates alongside it. Ritesh Tiwari stepped down as director, while Abhijit Bhattacharya was appointed as chairperson and additional non-executive director. Tahir Toloy Tanridagli also joined the board as an additional non-executive director.
The reshuffle signals a broader strategic reset as the Magnum-led entity looks to steer the brand’s next phase of growth in India. The transition has been carried out in line with regulatory requirements, including disclosures tied to the open offer and reclassification norms under market regulations.
With Unilever stepping back and Magnum stepping in, Kwality Wall’s India is effectively getting a fresh scoop of leadership and direction. The coming months will reveal how the new promoter plans to scale the brand in one of the world’s most competitive ice cream markets.
