MAM
Digital marketing veteran Amit Lall switches to WPP Media as planning lead
MUMBAI: Amit Lall, a digital marketing stalwart with over two decades in the trenches, has traded his principal partner role at Mindshare for a planning lead position at WPP Media, overseeing the conglomerate’s western and southern Indian operations from Mumbai.
The move in September ends Lall’s four-year-eight-month stint at Mindshare, where he commanded a team of over 30 professionals whilst juggling a diverse client roster spanning consumer durables, fintech, telecom, pharmaceuticals, and banking. His portfolio included marquee accounts across multiple sectors, positioning him as one of the agency’s key rainmakers in the fiercely competitive western market.
Before his Mindshare tenure, Lall spent just over a year as senior vice president at DigitalKites Global, where he steered a pioneering audience intelligence platform touching 250 million profiled users—India’s largest first-party audience marketplace. The role saw him managing full profit-and-loss responsibility across markets whilst delivering digital transformation solutions to brands and agencies.
He has had a fascinating career trajectory. At Omnicom Media Group, he spent over five years crafting digital strategies for western India’s premium clients, earning local and global accolades including Foma and James Burke awards. Earlier, at Mobile2win, he turbocharged mobile advertising revenue by 260 per cent year-on-year during a recession, whilst onboarding 50 new accounts and slashing overheads by 30 per cent.
Lall’s appointment signals WPP Media’s intent to consolidate its Indian operations under seasoned digital natives who’ve witnessed the subcontinent’s advertising metamorphosis from traditional media to mobile-first strategies. His deep understanding of India’s fragmented media landscape—from pioneering SMS ad networks at Mauj Telecom to managing channel partnerships at Reliance Communications—positions him well to navigate WPP’s evolving client demands.
The hire comes as global advertising giants scramble to retain top talent in India’s booming digital advertising market, where homegrown expertise commands premium valuations.
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.
