MAM
Diet Coke gets some bounce and bubble into its new TVC
MUMBAI: Beverage conglomerate Coca Cola in the US is all set to create a stir at a poolside and on a neighbourhood street by using bubbles and movie stars. The effort is being done for its diet drink.
The tagline for the ad campaign that covers, television, print, radio and the Internet is ‘It’s a Diet Coke thing’.
Two television commercials featuring animated bubbles have been made with Oscar winner Adrien Brody and actress Kate Beckinsale. The bubbles are designed to signal the refreshment and lift that Diet Coke provides. The first TVC is called Tingle.
In the ad Beckinsale leisurely strolls across a pool deck clearly catching the attention of the people lounging poolside. Bubbles flow out of the Diet Coke she is drinking, wrapping her in effervescence, then sweeping across people as she passes by. It reaches the point where they can no longer stand the “tingle” that Beckinsale and the bubbles are creating and dive into the pool to cool off.
The other TVC is called Bounce. The story features cool dude Brody walking through a Queens neighbourhood with a definite and pronounced bounce in his step. Effervescent bubbles flow from the Diet Coke he is enjoying. As he interacts with the people he passes he is able to add a little bounce to their day. The bubbles form the word Bounce and the tagline appears.
The ads were directed by Michel Gondry who recently directed the critically-acclaimed Jim Carrey starrer Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
MUMBAI: Mar-tech network Wondrlab Network is in talks to acquire advertising major Madison World, according to media reports, in a move that could reshape India’s agency landscape.
In a statement shared with Social Samosa, Wondrlab Network founder and CEO Saurabh Varma, confirmed that the group is actively evaluating acquisition opportunities but declined to confirm any specific transaction.
“We have consistently stated that Wondrlab is building for scale, and acquisitions remain an important part of that strategy. We are in discussions with multiple companies across capabilities that strengthen our platform-first, full-funnel marketing and technology offering. Any development will be communicated at the appropriate time,” Varma said.
Wondrlab has pursued acquisitions as part of an ambitious plan to buy 26 agencies across three phases. In 2025, it completed its seventh acquisition, underscoring its appetite for inorganic growth.
According to reports, Madison founder Sam Balsara is seeking around Rs 1,000 crore for the agency. If the Wondrlab deal goes through, it would rank as the largest acquisition of an Indian agency by another Indian agency.
Wondrlab was launched in November 2020 by Saurabh Varma, Vandana Varma, and Rakesh Hinduja. Its first acquisition followed swiftly with the December 2020 purchase of Amit Akali’s creative shop, What’s Your Problem.
Since then, the group has steadily expanded its footprint. It acquired influencer marketing firm Opportune and performance marketing agency Neon in 2022. In 2023, it bought Salesforce consultancy and data analytics firm Cymetrix, alongside Poland-based WebTalk, marking its entry into Europe. It later added influencer marketing agency OPA and, last year, took a majority stake in BigStep Technologies, a generative AI and cloud-native software firm.
Madison, meanwhile, has long been a target for global advertising groups. Over the years, it has drawn interest from WPP, Publicis Groupe and Dentsu. In May 2025, Havas was reported to be the frontrunner, with an offer of about Rs 700 crore for a majority stake.
Earlier talks with WPP in 2015, when Madison was valued at roughly Rs 500 crore, collapsed over valuation and equity differences. Discussions with Publicis and Dentsu also failed to yield a deal.
