Brands
Dark Fantasy’s AI campaign lets you be the co-star of SRK
Mumbai: When you see an ad with the undisputed Badshah of Tinsel Town pampering a woman at the salon or taking care of a fanboy during a private movie screening, you are bound to feel the pinch like millions of fans because not every day does the demigod of Indian cinema do all of this (as much as we would love if he did).
In a move that’s set to capture the hearts of millions across the globe, Sunfeast Dark Fantasy, a cookie synonymous with indulgence, is taking the ‘Har Dil Ki Fantasy’ campaign to a new level. The brand is set to offer people a chance to share a screen with the new brand ambassador of Sunfeast Dark Fantasy and King of Bollywood – Shah Rukh Khan – through its ‘#MyFantasyAdWithSRK’ campaign using Generative Artificial Intelligence Technology (“GenAI”). ITC Sunfeast Dark Fantasy along with their media partner IPG, teamed up with Akool, to bring the technology alive and give every SRK fan a first-of-its-kind experience.
Capturing the pulse of the Indian masses, the brand is raising the bar for the campaign through its GenAI-powered campaign granting every individual the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to “co-star” with their beloved Shah Rukh Khan. The campaign truly brings alive every individual’s fantasy by featuring them in the new Dark Fantasy ad.
For the first time in India, using GenAI, fans can now recreate Sunfeast Dark Fantasy’s advertisements featuring Shah Rukh Khan with the help of just a selfie. Sunfeast Dark Fantasy also encourages participants to share their personalised ads on their social media handles with the hashtag #MyFantasyAdWithSRK.
Speaking on the campaign, ITC Foods Division chief operating officer – biscuits & cakes cluster Ali Harris Shere said, “We’ve all witnessed the love and admiration that Shah Rukh Khan commands across the world. Our campaign is a direct response to the fantasies nurtured by our consumers over the years. We’ve heard countless wishes of fans wanting to star beside Shah Rukh Khan. This Sunfeast Dark Fantasy campaign brings together two iconic ‘brands’ and brings to life what once seemed like a distant fantasy.”
Khan, whose movies have brought joy to millions of hearts, expressed his excitement about this new campaign, “Partnering with Sunfeast Dark Fantasy for the ‘#MyFantasyAdWithSRK’ campaign has been an incredibly exciting journey. It’s wonderful to witness how technology can bridge dreams and reality, I am thrilled to be a part of my fans lives and step into their fantasies in this unique way. This campaign resonates with the essence of ‘Har Dil Ki Fantasy,’ capturing the spirit of aspirations and bringing them to life. It’s exciting to be a part of this innovative initiative that lets me co-star with my fans. Together, we’re turning our imagination into reality.”
Now that’s what we call truly integrating technology with storytelling and creating an immersive experience for fans who will remember Sunfeast Dark Fantasy as a brand that not only heard them out but also left them with a lingering sweet memory.
https://darkfantasyadwithsrk.in
Brands
Dunkin’ Donuts to exit India as Jubilant FoodWorks ends 15-year franchise deal
The quick service restaurant giant is ending a 15-year franchise partnership with the American doughnut chain, even as it renews its Domino’s agreement for another 15 years
NOIDA: Dunkin’ is done in India. Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd, the country’s leading quick service restaurant operator, has decided not to renew its franchise agreement with the American coffee and doughnut chain, and will wind down its Indian stores in a phased manner before December 31, 2026, bringing a 15-year partnership to a quiet, loss-laden close.
The decision, approved by JFL’s board on March 30, 2026, ends a relationship that began with a Multiple Unit Development Franchise Agreement signed on February 24, 2011. JFL will now evaluate and undertake what it described in a regulatory filing as the “rationalisation and/or cessation of certain operations and/or sale, transfer or disposal of assets and/or assignment or transfer of franchise rights,” all in consultation with Dunkin’s brand owners and strictly within the terms of the original agreement.
The numbers tell the story bluntly. In the financial year 2024-25, Dunkin’ India posted a revenue of Rs 37 crore against a loss of Rs 19 crore — a haemorrhage that was always going to test the patience of a parent company recording revenues of Rs 6,104 crore and a profit of Rs 194 crore in the same period. Doughnuts, it turns out, were never going to move the needle.
The contrast with JFL’s handling of its other marquee franchise could hardly be sharper. Even as it walks away from Dunkin’, the company has just doubled down on Domino’s, signing a fresh Master Franchise Agreement on March 31, 2026, granting it exclusive rights to develop and operate Domino’s Pizza stores in India for 15 years, with an option to renew for a further 10.
JFL, incorporated in 1995 and promoted by the Bharatia family, operates a network of more than 3,500 stores across six markets — India, Turkey, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Its portfolio includes Domino’s and Popeyes on the global side, and two home-grown brands: Hong’s Kitchen and COFFY, a café brand in Turkey.
For Dunkin’, India was always a stretch. The brand never quite cracked the cultural code in a market where filter coffee and chai command fierce loyalty and where the doughnut remains, at best, an occasional indulgence rather than a daily habit. Fifteen years, mounting losses and a parent with better things to spend its capital on was always going to be a difficult equation to solve.
The doughnut has had its last day. The pizza, however, is staying.
