Ad Campaigns
Condé Nast India, Myntra, TLC, Discovery Plus join hands for a cause
NEW DELHI: Condé Nast India announces the launch of ‘Behind the Mask’, a mammoth, multilayered social awareness campaign with Myntra, helmed by a five-episode video series, to be showcased on TLC, TLC HD and Discovery Plus with a call-to-action that benefits Indian karigars (craftspeople). These videos ‘unmask’ five of India’s leading fashion designers – Manish Malhotra, Anita Dongre, Tarun Tahiliani, Gaurav Gupta and Rahul Mishra on film, giving us an intimate peek into their lives during the pandemic. In these episodes, each designer also creates a prototype of a mask using elements from Indian art and culture, based on the current times. These designs then serve as inspiration for five unique mask collections, each an ode to a craft or a community. Myntra will be offering an assortment of 34 styles and 20 designs that will be available in packs of one, four, five and 20.
Condé Nast India managing director Alex Kuruvilla elaborates, “Behind the Mask’ is one of the most ambitious projects we’ve ever undertaken. From video concept and production to packaging and product design to bringing on board multiple partners, this activity was entirely orchestrated by Condé Nast India during the lockdown, managed remotely by multiple stakeholders. Our objective is twofold: to promote the wearing of masks, and to raise funds for the karigars (artisans) who tirelessly work behind the scenes of the Indian textile industry and are among those worst hit by the pandemic. This initiative achieves the first objective by mass-producing masks inspired by the designers’ prototypes. And it raises funds by donating all profits from the sales of these masks to GiveIndia—all this while creating great content that is at the core of Condé Nast India’s legacy.”
This is also the first time two Condé Nast India titles, Vogue and GQ, have joined forces for a campaign of this scale. What makes this project interesting is the extent of collaboration required to pull it off, especially since it was entirely produced in the era of lockdown and self-isolation where nothing but the “essential” was permitted. The making of the video series is a case study in itself, with everything from conceptualising to scripting and shooting done remotely, with help from the designers’ loved ones who happily agreed to play co-filmmakers. Using mobile phones and digital cameras, with extensive notes from the director and DOP and briefings over video calls, the team managed to pull off these videos, that too in broadcast specifications.
To execute this project, Condé Nast India brought onboard Myntra to produce and sell the masks, TLC, TLC HD to broadcast and Discovery Plus to stream the episodes, and GiveIndia to ensure the profits from the sales reach the right NGOs.
Myntra CEO Amar Nagaram added, “Behind the Mask’ is an extraordinary initiative, a coming together of enthusiastic and dedicated folks for a common, but the profound cause. We wholeheartedly appreciate the efforts of Condé Nast and are proud to be a part of this ‘one-of-a-kind’ association. Our wide shopper base and reach will enable these masks, inspired by the concepts of India’s leading fashions designers, to reach millions of consumers across the country, thereby supporting this fundraiser campaign in a big way.”
Discovery Managing Director south Asia- Megha Tata said, “Given the pandemic, there is a need for various stakeholders to come together for the larger good of society. This cause led initiative has the potential to engage audiences in a very endearing way and leave an indelible mark on the audiences. We are proud to have played our part in supporting Kaarigars and remain committed to support such meaningful initiatives in the future as well.”
GiveIndia President Ashok Kumar ER says: "Our crafts artisans represent the backbone of India's rich heritage and these have been extremely challenging times for them. So we are very grateful that through this partnership Condé Nast India will not only support the karigars but also highlight the crucial role they play in the textile industry. For those of us continuing to stay safe at home, 'Behind The Mask' also acts as a reminder not to take the lives of those less fortunate for granted. Since mid-March GiveIndia has been supporting communities worst-hit by the COVID2019 crisis through our India COVID Response Fund, having disbursed Rs 114+ crore so far. And we welcome Condé Nast India's contribution."
The episodes will be streamed on the Myntra app on 12 August 2020 and aired on TLC and TLC HD and streamed on Discovery + on 17 August/18 August 2020. The masks will be available for sale on Myntra from 12 August onwards.
To buy the masks go to www.myntra.com
NATIONAL: Amazon Ads has laid out a sharply tech-led vision for the advertising industry in 2026, arguing that artificial intelligence, streaming TV and creator partnerships will combine to turn brand building into a more precise, performance-driven business.
At the heart of the shift, the company says, is the fusion of AI with Amazon’s vast trove of shopping, browsing and streaming signals, allowing advertisers to move beyond blunt reach metrics to campaigns designed around real customer behaviour.
“The future of advertising is not about reaching more people, but the right people with messages that resonate,” said Amazon Ads India head and vice president Girish Prabhu. “By combining AI with deep customer insights, we help brands move from broadcasting campaigns to having meaningful conversations wherever audiences spend their time.”
One of the biggest changes, according to Amazon Ads, will be the collapse of the wall between media planning and creative development. Retail media, powered by first-party data, is increasingly shaping everything from brand discovery to final purchase, pushing marketers to design campaigns around audience insight rather than internal instinct.
AI is also moving from a support tool to a creative engine. Agentic AI, which automates and accelerates production, is expected to make high-quality creative accessible even to small businesses, compressing weeks of work into hours and giving challengers the ability to compete with larger brands on speed and scale.
Behind the scenes, AI-driven analytics will take on a bigger role in campaign optimisation, identifying patterns, spotting opportunities and recommending actions that would previously have required teams of analysts.
Streaming TV is another big battleground. With India’s video streaming audience now above 600 million and connected TV users at 129.2 million in 2025, advertisers are set to treat streaming not just as a branding channel but as a performance engine, measured increasingly by sales, sign-ups and bookings rather than just reach.
Finally, Amazon Ads sees creators and contextual advertising reshaping how brands tell stories. Creators will act less like influencers and more like long-term partners, while scene-aware ads on streaming platforms will allow brands to insert hyper-relevant offers into the flow of what viewers are watching.
Taken together, Amazon Ads argues, these shifts mark a move towards advertising that is both more human and more measurable, where AI handles the complexity, and creativity does the persuading.
