MAM
DDB Mudra onboards Priya Shivakumar as creative head
Mumbai: DDB Mudra has appointed Priya Shivakumar as its new creative head for the South region. She will collaborate closely with DDB Mudra Group CCO Rahul Mathew and share leadership with DDB Mudra president – Growth and Strategy, Menaka Menon.
Joining DDB Mudra from Wunderman Thompson (JWT), where she rose quickly up the ranks from ECD of Chennai to chief creative officer (South), Priya brings a wealth of experience to her new role. Through her career of over two decades, Priya’s work and creative leadership have won numerous Cannes Lions, D&AD Pencils, One Show Pencils and Spikes Asia, one of the more recent wins being for the “Hidden Truth” , a powerful piece on Domestic Violence.
Speaking on her new role, “I’m thrilled to join DDB Mudra and contribute to the legacy of creating culturally resonant brands,” Priya said. “These are exciting times where you can take storytelling to new and unexpected places…through technology, craft or experience…”, She added: “I’m looking forward to leveraging the power of emotions in my work, driving choices, creating conversations, shaping markets, and rewriting brand stories.”
Meanwhile, Rahul Mathew commented, “We have been evolving our offering in the South to go beyond national campaigns and offer specialised expertise for the five south markets. And we believe what will make our solutions even more effective is our creativity. Priya will play a critical role in us achieving this vision for the South office. She has the unique ability to capture local and cultural nuances and execute them to international standards. I’m excited to have her partner with us on our journey.”
MAM
Sleepwell unveils nationwide sleep study on World Sleep Day
79 per cent use screens before bed, 36 per cent of 18–25-year-olds sleep ≤5 hours.
MUMBAI: Sleepwell just dropped the pillow truth bomb because when India’s sleeping less and scrolling more, even the mattress wants to stage an intervention. On World Sleep Day 2026, Sleepwell released its nationwide Sleep Study, painting a stark picture of India’s escalating sleep crisis. The findings show that 79% of Indians use screens right before bed, fuelling restless nights and drowsy days. Alarmingly, 36% of young adults aged 18–25 sleep five hours or less making them the country’s most sleep-deprived group.
The study also busts the myth of “catch-up sleep”, 65% of respondents actually sleep even later on weekends, pointing to increasingly irregular patterns that spill fatigue into the working week. Mattress discomfort emerged as a frequently overlooked culprit behind late-night wake-ups and constant leak-anxiety checks.
To drive the message home, Sleepwell’s CMO Puneet Gulati appeared on Zee Business, stressing that quality sleep isn’t a luxury, it’s foundational health. He highlighted how the right mattress can transform restless nights into restorative ones.
The brand doubled down with clever late-night activations, partnering with a quick-commerce platform to serve contextual ads between 11 pm and 3 am, gently nudging bleary-eyed scrollers to consider mattress discomfort as the reason they’re still awake and pointing them to the nearest Sleepwell store. Digital influencers and creators also shared relatable stories of how poor sleep fuels impulsive late-night behaviour.
In a nation that celebrates hustle but quietly pays for it in lost rest, Sleepwell isn’t just selling mattresses, it’s selling the radical idea that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is close your eyes and actually sleep well.
