Brands
Crossword powers Jaipur lit fest with a high-energy bookshop comeback
MUMBAI: Crossword Bookstores is returning to the Jaipur Literature Festival as its official bookstore partner, turning the 19th edition of the world-famous literary gathering into a full-throttle retail-and-reader campaign.
The chain will run a pop-up bookshop across the festival grounds, stocking titles by participating writers, festival picks and evergreen classics, alongside signings and reader-meets designed to convert footfall into sales and fandom. Authors scheduled for in-person engagement include Banu Mushtaq, Vir Das, Kiran Desai, Rujuta Diwekar, Javed Akhtar, Gaur Gopal Das and Viswanathan Anand.
“As Jaipur Literature Festival marks its 19th edition, we are proud to once again partner a platform that champions ideas and dialogue at a global scale,” said Crossword Bookstores CEO Aakash Gupta. “It reflects our shared belief in the power of books to spark conversation and connect cultures.”
The 2026 edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival will bring together award-winning authors, thinkers, poets, journalists and debut voices from around the world, with sessions spanning literature, politics, history, science and culture, alongside music and cultural showcases.
Brands
DeVANS sparks buzz with self-chilling beer can April Fools campaign
Godfather stunt racks up 7 million impressions, blending humour with hype
NEW DELHI: DeVANS Modern Breweries has stirred up the marketing pot with a playful yet high-impact campaign teasing a futuristic “self-chilling beer can” under its flagship Godfather label.
What began as a seemingly bold product innovation quickly turned into one of the most talked-about brand moments online, before being revealed as an April Fools’ Day prank. The reveal, however, did little to cool the buzz.
The campaign clocked over 7 million organic impressions across platforms including LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X, with users debating whether the concept was a genuine breakthrough or clever marketing theatre. Thousands of shares and comments turned the idea into a full-blown conversation, drawing in both consumers and industry insiders.
The hook was simple but effective. A self-chilling can positioned as an on-the-go convenience product tapped into the imagination of younger, urban audiences. Add the timing around April Fools’ Day, and the campaign struck the perfect balance between curiosity and scepticism, keeping audiences guessing.
Marketing experts have pointed to the campaign as a case study in leveraging cultural moments. By leaving just enough ambiguity, the brand invited audiences to participate rather than simply observe, turning passive viewers into active contributors to the narrative.
“Godfather has always been an iconic brand, but iconicity must evolve to stay meaningful,” said DeVANS Modern Breweries chairman and managing director Prem Dewan. “The ‘Self-Chilling Can’ was our way of showing up in a cultural moment with confidence and a sense of humour.”
Beyond the numbers, the campaign signals a broader repositioning for Godfather. Long seen as a legacy beer brand, it is now leaning into youth culture, digital-first storytelling and topical engagement to stay relevant in a crowded alcobev market.
In a space where attention is fleeting, DeVANS has shown that sometimes the coolest idea is the one that keeps people guessing.
