MAM
Dentsu Creative Impact strengthens team with several senior level hires
MUMBAI: Dentsu Creative Impact, creative division of Dentsu Aegis Network, has made a host of new talent acquisitions.
The beefing up of the team has happened across functions, ranging from strategic planning to account management and creative. The appointments come in the wake of the recent client wins such as Maruti Suzuki, Carlsberg and a set of soon-to-be announced brands.
In the creative function, the agency has roped in Sundar Iyer as copy ECD. Iyer will form the creative leadership team along with ECD Sumitra Sengupta and Art ECD Deepak Singh, whose appointment was announced a few months back. Both Iyer and Sengupta join in after their recent stints at JWT.
On his new role and expectations, Iyer said, “Great work can only come from collaboration, which seems to be inherent to the way this agency functions. It’s a place that doesn’t have to unlearn to be ready.”
Sengupta added, “Two months, and Dentsu Creative Impact has already broken my preconceived notions about it. It’s a great place to work at this time. The client is open to innovations, actually demanding it and I’m working at the best place that can provide it.”
On the account management side, Dentsu Creative Impact has roped in Arvinderjit Singh as vice president, who along with vice president Hindol Purkayastha, will bolster the function and bring in greater depth and strength.
Speaking about his new role, Singh said, “The sands of engagement as a creative partner have shifted and our industry is going through tremendous change. Working with an agency like Dentsu Creative Impact that not only recognises change but embraces it, is very exciting.”
Purkayastha added, “It’s rare we get a chance to build and create internal ecosystems to mirror our client needs. This is exactly what we are doing around our clients. I am also excited on utilising Dentsu’s strengths in digital and new media to create advertising that actually touches people’s lives.”
In strategic planning, Shveta Singh has been appointed as vice president. She will work with strategic planning senior vice president Kartikeya Srivastava. Shveta said, “For me, crossing over the digital divide was the next logical step because the future will have no such divide. A new approach to strategic planning is the need of the day. And, Dentsu came across as the right place with the right vision and a set of people who are already breaking the mould of traditional agency planning.”
Talking about the new team additions, Dentsu Creative Impact Group CEO Narayan Devanathan said, “Great work happens when people commit to constantly raising the bar. At Dentsu Creative Impact, we’re doing that by first raising the bar on the talent we’re bringing together, across functions. Across Creative, Account Management, Planning, we have a first-rate second rung in place at Dentsu Creative Impact to sustain the momentum that we have going now.”
Echoing a similar sentiment Dentsu Creative Impact branch head senior vice president Amit Wadhwa said, “It’s been great going for Dentsu Creative Impact especially in the last year or so, and one way we can really continue this upward journey is when we have the right people around. And when we were looking to expand our team this was precisely the thought in our head. We are excited about the fresh thinking and energy that all these guys bring and I am looking forward to working with all of them.”
MAM
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.
