Brands
Casio turns back time as Vintage AQ-240 ticks with Gen Z attitude
The Never Just One campaign blends retro charm with modern mood for India’s youth.
MUMBAI: If time could shape-shift, it would probably wear a Casio. Casio India has rolled out a fresh campaign for its Vintage series, putting the spotlight on the AQ-240, a watch that leans into nostalgia while keeping pace with modern, ever-evolving identities. Part of Casio’s broader Future Classics line-up, the AQ-240 draws from the brand’s heritage while reinterpreting it for today’s sensibilities. The new campaign is anchored in a simple but telling idea: Never Just One. It mirrors a generation that refuses to be boxed into a single identity fluid in style, mood and self-expression much like the watch itself.
Vintage Casio watches have long enjoyed cult status, particularly among Gen Z and millennials. With this campaign, the brand doubles down on that connection, positioning the AQ-240 as a timepiece that adapts seamlessly to different roles and moments. Set against the pulse of contemporary urban culture, the campaign film captures how young consumers shift effortlessly between personas, styles and settings.
At the centre of the AQ-240 is its defining feature, a dual-display dial that fuses analogue hands with a digital screen. The sun-ray dial finish adds depth and clarity, while the distinctive TV-shaped digital window delivers a strong retro cue. Available in silver, blue and gold variants, the watch balances throwback aesthetics with everyday versatility.
“Through this product series and its campaign, we celebrate a generation that is dynamic, diverse and always redefining itself,” said Casio India managing director Takuto Kimura. “The AQ-240 embodies this same spirit merging analogue and digital, retro and modern while staying attuned to the cultural rhythm of modern India.”
The campaign has been brought to life by Homegrown and directed by Varsha Patra. Using abstract yet striking visuals, the film leans into the idea of duality not just in the watch’s design, but in the mindset of its audience. The result is a narrative that feels less like a product showcase and more like a reflection of how young India sees itself.
With Never Just One, Casio reinforces why its Vintage line continues to resonate decades on. In an era that values reinvention as much as authenticity, the AQ-240 positions itself as more than a watch, it’s a reminder that style, like time, doesn’t stand still.
Brands
Lululemon picks former Nike executive to be its next chief
Heidi O’Neill, who helped grow Nike into a $45 billion giant, will take the top job in September
CANADA: Lululemon has found its next chief executive, and she comes with serious credentials. The athleisure giant named Heidi O’Neill as its new CEO on Wednesday, ending a search that has left the company running on interim leadership since earlier this year. O’Neill will take charge on September 8, 2026, based out of Vancouver, and will join the board on the same day.
O’Neill brings more than three decades of experience across performance apparel, footwear and sport. The bulk of that time was spent at Nike, where she was a central figure in one of corporate sport’s great growth stories, helping take the company from a $9 billion business to a $45 billion global powerhouse. She oversaw product pipelines, brand strategy and consumer connections, and played a significant role in shaping how Nike spoke to athletes around the world. Earlier in her career, she worked in marketing for the Dockers brand at Levi Strauss. She also brings boardroom experience from Spotify Technology, Hyatt Hotels and Lithia and Driveway.
The board was unequivocal in its enthusiasm. “We selected Heidi because of the breadth of her experience, her demonstrated success delivering breakthrough ideas and initiatives at scale, and her ability to be a knowledgeable change and growth agent,” said Marti Morfitt, executive chair of Lululemon’s board.
O’Neill, for her part, was bullish. “Lululemon is an iconic brand with something rare: genuine guest love, a product ethos rooted in innovation, and a global platform still in the early stages of its potential,” she said. “My job will be to accelerate product breakthroughs, deepen the brand’s cultural relevance, and unlock growth in markets around the world.”
Until she arrives, Meghan Frank and André Maestrini will continue as interim co-CEOs, before returning to their previous senior leadership roles once O’Neill steps in.
Lululemon is betting that a Nike veteran who helped build one of the world’s most powerful sports brands can do something similar for an athleisure label that has genuine love from its customers but is still chasing its full global potential. O’Neill has done it before at scale. The question now is whether she can do it again.
