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DDB Mudra creates star studded TVC for McDowell’s No. 1 soda
MUMBAI: McDowell‘s No. 1, the beverage brand from the house of United Spirits, has launched a new television commercial for its soda extension.
The TVC features Farhan Akthar, who is the brand ambassador for McDowell‘s No. 1. He is the brand‘s first celebrity endorser in its 40 year existence. It also features Purab Kohli, Cyrus Sahukar, Zoa Morani and Meiyang Chang.
Titled ‘Dosti ka No. 1 spirit‘, the commercial has been created by DDB Mudra, Bangalore.
Additionally, the brand is also organizing activations including multicity musicals with music composer duo Vishal and Shekhar.
DDB Mudra South executive creative director Vipul Thakkar said, “McDowell‘s No.1 soda is all about getting together and having fun. The brief we received from the brand was to highlight the fact that McDowell‘s spreads the spirit of friendship, which is the brand proposition. So we went about creating a campaign around these friends.”
DDB Mudra president Ranji Cherian believes that the campaign will drive a greater level of interest among the younger consumers. He said, “With this campaign the brand hopes to capture the friendship space from which memorable moments are born.”
United Spirits president and managing director Ashok Capoor said, “McDowell‘s No. 1 represents the social aspirations of today‘s youth. Spending time with friends is paramount for them. The McDowell‘s No.1 group of friends – our new brand ambassadors from Bollywood – echo these sentiments and situations that anyone can easily identify with. McDowell‘s No. 1 has set benchmarks for the alco bev industry – be it be the unmatched sales of 17 million cases this year, innovations in packaging, large unique events, activations and promotions. McDowell‘s No.1‘s association with Farhan, Purab, Zoa, Chang and Cyrus will set a similar benchmark for friends wanting to have a good time together. The new TVC is themed on the ‘No.1 spirit of friendship‘ and showcases interesting friendship moments appropriately for McDowell‘s No. 1 given its stellar performance in the industry.”
DDB Mudra, Bangalore also handles the creative duties for USL‘s Power Brands such as McDowell‘s No.1 Platinum, Bagpiper, McDowell‘s No.1 Celebration, McDowell‘s No.1 Cariba and Louis Vernant XO Brandy.
MAM
Ad:tech honours 2026: Full list of winners announced
Expanded awards spotlight winners across 22 categories as industry doubles down on intelligent automation
NEW DELHI: Marketing’s tech elite took the spotlight as the ad:tech honours 2026 returned with a sharper focus on AI, data and immersive media, signalling how deeply technology now underpins brand strategy. Held at Yashobhoomi on March 17, the second edition drew industry leaders to celebrate innovation that is reshaping engagement and performance.
Presented with the International Advertising Association India chapter and new partner Huella, the awards expanded from 8 to 22 categories, tracking the rapid convergence of creativity, automation and analytics.
The winners’ list reads like a snapshot of marketing’s future. In affiliate and partner marketing, Lyxel & Flamingo – Boat and Paytm Ads – Giva took silver. Mobavenue Media Private Limited struck gold in AI-driven dynamic creative optimisation, alongside a silver for Laqshya Media Limited.
Creative AI collaboration saw Rediffusion Brand Solutions Private Limited win gold, with Saltinc Consulting Private Limited securing silver. Laqshya Media Limited continued its strong run, taking gold in AI conversation agents and adding multiple wins across categories, including silver in GenAI-led creative and both gold and silver in interactive DOOH campaigns for Tanishq and Tata Coffee.
Predictive AI honours went to Strong Metrics and Tyroo, both silver, while Orient Bell Limited picked up silver in immersive retail tech. In GenAI-led creative, Laqshya Media Limited, Salt – Kotak and Sumimoto each secured silver, reflecting the crowded race in generative creativity.
Publicis bagged silver in influencer management and gold in performance marketing, where it shared the stage with Arm Worldwide and The Trade Desk, both silver. Glad U Came Private Limited stood out with gold in influencer measurement and analytics.
Marketing automation saw CereOne Media Pvt. Ltd. and Globale Media win silver, while ADMOTT Private Limited claimed silver in OTT innovation.
Programmatic media categories highlighted the shift to advanced targeting and connected screens. Mobavenue Media Private Limited clinched gold in connected TV advertising, with Animmoov Digital Media Pvt Ltd – Asus and Lyxel and Flamingo taking silver. Cheggout Services Private Limited won silver in retail media advertising, while Paytm Ads – Versuni secured gold.
On social platforms, Vayner Media India took gold in community and UGC engagement, with Under 25 – Oppo winning silver. Segumento rounded off the list with silver in the innovation category.
Jaswant Singh, country managing director at ad:tech India, underscored the momentum, saying generative AI and data-driven decision-making are now central to marketing impact. Neena Dasgupta, IAA mancom member and chief executive and founder at The Salt Inc Consulting, added that the awards celebrate not just technology, but “the people, the creativity, and the relentless effort behind it.”
Backed by Comexposium Group, ad:tech New Delhi has long tracked digital disruption. Now, with the honours, it is rewarding those who are not just adapting to change but engineering it.
In an industry racing towards automation, the message from 2026 is unmistakable. The future of marketing will be written not just in ideas, but in algorithms.
