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dentsuMB Group CEO Sidharth Rao moves on
MUMBAI: After a career spanning over 22 years, dentsuMB Group CEO Sidharth Rao has moved on from the agency. Rao will be leaving the business in December 2022 to return to his entrepreneurial roots,the agency announced in a statement on Wednesday.
dentsuMB India will then come under the additional charge of Isobar India group CEO Heeru Dingra, supported by business leaders Ajit Devraj, Indrajeet Mookerjee and Harsh Shah. The new dentsuMB India leadership team will work with Rao through the transition, and in close partnership with Amit Wadhwa, CEO for the entirety of dentsu’s Creative Service Line for India.
Rao was given the additional responsibility of CEO of the dentsuMB Group in June 2021 as part of dentsu’s restructuring of creative, digital and PR services.
He took over the role of chairman at dentsu’s creative agency Happy mcgarrybowen (HMB) India and Dentsu Webchutney in January 2020. Prior to that, Rao was CEO of dentsu Webchutney, a company he founded along with Sudesh Samaria in 1999, before it was acquired by dentsu in 2013.
Confirming the development, dentsu India Creative Service Line CEO Amit Wadhwa said, “Sid is not just a colleague – he is, and will remain, a dear friend. He has played an instrumental role in dentsu India’s growth and creative journey, as well as in mentoring our talent, which gives me every confidence and much excitement for the next generation of dentsuMB India’s leaders who are already proving formidable.”
“We truly wish Sid every luck as he returns to his entrepreneurial ambition and passion, for which we are sure he will find great success again,” he added.
On his moving on, Sidharth Rao said, “Being acquired by dentsu was by far the most important milestone in Webchutney’s journey. It has been a great, great ride. Dentsu India is making such exciting strides and I am especially happy to see Dentsu Webchutney the strongest it’s ever been. There are absolutely no regrets. I have enjoyed this decade long journey enormously, and great credit goes to the network’s leadership team who I would like to thank dearly for making dentsu feel like home since day one.”
“For my journey ahead, I am exploring new ideas in the exciting online space, with details of my plan ready to be announced in the coming months,” Rao further added.
An integral part of dentsu India’s executive leadership team, Rao has helped build dentsu’s digital and creative capabilities in the market, the agency said in a statement. Under his leadership, dentsu India has been awarded at multiple local as well as major international award shows including Cannes Lions, Spikes Asia, The One Show and D&AD.
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.
