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Dentsu Creative group India onboards Anu Gulati as executive creative director
MUMBAI: Dentsu Creative group India has announced the appointment of Anu Gulati as executive creative director. In her new role, Gulati will work with the group’s key talents to further drive and strengthen the network’s creative capabilities, thereby enhancing the client’s market growth. She will be based out of the network’s Delhi office and will report into dentsu Creative group India group chief creative officer Ajay Gahlaut.
Gulati brings with her over 15 years of experience in the industry. Earlier, she has held creative leadership positions at agencies like Ogilvy & Mather and DDB Mudra. In her previous roles, she has worked with brands like 7Up, McDonald’s, Sprite, KFC, Pizza Hut, Indian Tourism, UNICEF and WWF, to name a few. Additionally, she has also been pursuing her love for writing as a scriptwriter. Gulati has been a part of several award-winning campaigns that have bagged multiple national and international wins at the much-coveted Cannes, Kyoorius, One Show, Abbys, and D&AD.
Speaking on the appointment, Ajay Gahlaut said, “Anu Gulati is a rare creative person with an uncanny talent for creating interesting and engaging advertising that is also very effective in the marketplace. Exceptional talent, the mental stamina for extreme hard work and an obsessive desire to create a stellar piece of work on every brief, make Anu a valued member of any creative team. We are thrilled to welcome Anu on board; and look forward to seeing her weave her particular brand of magic into our brands.”
Anu Gulati added, “Unlike the usual setups, dentsu provides a unique and integrated environment. With the kind of talent and intent this place is brimming with, I am confident that these teams can do wonders not just for the network but for the advertising industry at large.”
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Barista partners Ginny Weds Sunny 2 with mango campaign
Cafe chain blends cinema buzz with summer menu and 20 per cent offer.
MUMBAI: Love may brew slowly, but marketing clearly doesn’t especially when coffee meets cinema and mangoes steal the spotlight. Barista Coffee Company has partnered with the upcoming hindi film Ginny Weds Sunny 2 as its official beverage partner, in a move aimed at tapping into youth culture through entertainment-led engagement. The collaboration is not just a logo placement exercise. Instead, Barista is translating the film’s high-energy vibe into its cafés with a themed summer menu titled “Main Hoon Mango”, accompanied by a limited-period 20 per cent discount on combo offerings across outlets.
Actors Medha Shankr and Avinash Tiwary feature in the campaign, seen engaging with the mango-themed menu inside Barista cafés, a visual cue designed to blur the lines between reel and real-life consumption moments.
The strategy reflects a broader shift in how consumer brands are leveraging hindi film industry not just for visibility, but for immersive, on-ground engagement. By embedding the film’s narrative into its product experience, Barista is aiming to drive footfall, especially among younger audiences who increasingly seek experiential touchpoints over traditional advertising.
Barista Coffee Company CEO Rajat Agrawal described the partnership as both a branding and growth play, focused on expanding reach beyond the existing customer base and aligning with evolving consumer preferences.
The emphasis on a seasonal, flavour-led hook mango, one of India’s most culturally resonant ingredients adds a timely layer to the campaign, aligning with summer consumption trends while riding on the film’s promotional momentum.
For Barista, the move is part of a larger positioning shift. Rather than operating purely as a coffee retail chain, the brand is increasingly framing itself as a lifestyle destination, one that intersects with entertainment, conversation and shared experiences. By integrating cinema into its physical spaces, Barista is effectively turning cafés into micro-extensions of the film’s universe, where consumers do not just watch a story unfold but participate in it sip by sip.
The 20 per cent offer further nudges trial, lowering the barrier for consumers to engage with the themed menu while amplifying recall through a tangible incentive.
Brand-film collaborations are hardly new, but their execution is evolving. Where earlier partnerships relied on co-branded ads or product placements, the current playbook leans towards immersive storytelling and retail integration.
In that sense, Barista’s “Main Hoon Mango” push is less about promotion and more about participation inviting consumers to experience a slice of the film within a familiar, everyday setting. As the film industry continues to act as a cultural amplifier, such partnerships underline a growing truth, in today’s attention economy, it is not enough to be seen brands must be experienced.
And if that experience comes with a mango twist and a cinematic backdrop, all the better.
