MAM
Dulux rolls out ad campaign for ‘Velvet Touch’
MUMBAI: AkzoNobel, the maker of Dulux Paints, is launching a brand campaign to promote its new product, ‘Velvet Touch Pearl Glo‘.
The new ad campaign has been conceptualised and created by McCann Erickson.
Dulux, Akzo Nobel India category manager interiors- brand and digital Pushkar Jain said, “The campaign aims to build a distinct positioning for Dulux Velvet Touch Pearl Glo in the premium, super luxury paints category – as a product that catalyses success in life through the transformative power of colour.”
The campaign, which will feature across both, print and television, has Farhan Akhtar essaying the role of a man who has evolved across many genres of creativity and is looking to achieve more.
The campaign will be in English, Hindi, Tamil, Bengali and Malayalam.
In the ad film, Farhan Akhtar is portraying a Sutradhar – taking audience through stories of people having experienced a certain level of success in life.
According to the company, he derives the credibility of being a story-teller (Sutradhar) from his own story – of being a successful actor, an equally respected director and a talented singer. A man with a velvet touch, always being inspired to do more and to express his creative rhythms, the colours of his multi-faceted personality.
Three distinct human stories are narrated by Farhan – each capturing a different manifestation of renewal and transformation. In each, the power of colour is showcased in its physiological, psychological and philosophical dimensions to reflect the glow of success.
McCann Worldgroup India executive chairman, CEO and chief creative officer Prasoon Joshi said, “The creative challenge for us was to interpret the global Dulux positioning of ‘Renewal‘ in the Indian cultural environment, for which we created the communication which manifests how the glow of Velvet Touch on a person‘s walls inspires the person to keep striving, thus making the brand a catalyst for renewal in the person‘s life. Farhan Akhtar epitomizes renewal where his own journey is one of constantly reinventing himself and therefore he proved to be an ideal ambassador for the brand as well as the philosophy.”
MAM
Ad:tech honours 2026: Full list of winners announced
Expanded awards spotlight winners across 22 categories as industry doubles down on intelligent automation
NEW DELHI: Marketing’s tech elite took the spotlight as the ad:tech honours 2026 returned with a sharper focus on AI, data and immersive media, signalling how deeply technology now underpins brand strategy. Held at Yashobhoomi on March 17, the second edition drew industry leaders to celebrate innovation that is reshaping engagement and performance.
Presented with the International Advertising Association India chapter and new partner Huella, the awards expanded from 8 to 22 categories, tracking the rapid convergence of creativity, automation and analytics.
The winners’ list reads like a snapshot of marketing’s future. In affiliate and partner marketing, Lyxel & Flamingo – Boat and Paytm Ads – Giva took silver. Mobavenue Media Private Limited struck gold in AI-driven dynamic creative optimisation, alongside a silver for Laqshya Media Limited.
Creative AI collaboration saw Rediffusion Brand Solutions Private Limited win gold, with Saltinc Consulting Private Limited securing silver. Laqshya Media Limited continued its strong run, taking gold in AI conversation agents and adding multiple wins across categories, including silver in GenAI-led creative and both gold and silver in interactive DOOH campaigns for Tanishq and Tata Coffee.
Predictive AI honours went to Strong Metrics and Tyroo, both silver, while Orient Bell Limited picked up silver in immersive retail tech. In GenAI-led creative, Laqshya Media Limited, Salt – Kotak and Sumimoto each secured silver, reflecting the crowded race in generative creativity.
Publicis bagged silver in influencer management and gold in performance marketing, where it shared the stage with Arm Worldwide and The Trade Desk, both silver. Glad U Came Private Limited stood out with gold in influencer measurement and analytics.
Marketing automation saw CereOne Media Pvt. Ltd. and Globale Media win silver, while ADMOTT Private Limited claimed silver in OTT innovation.
Programmatic media categories highlighted the shift to advanced targeting and connected screens. Mobavenue Media Private Limited clinched gold in connected TV advertising, with Animmoov Digital Media Pvt Ltd – Asus and Lyxel and Flamingo taking silver. Cheggout Services Private Limited won silver in retail media advertising, while Paytm Ads – Versuni secured gold.
On social platforms, Vayner Media India took gold in community and UGC engagement, with Under 25 – Oppo winning silver. Segumento rounded off the list with silver in the innovation category.
Jaswant Singh, country managing director at ad:tech India, underscored the momentum, saying generative AI and data-driven decision-making are now central to marketing impact. Neena Dasgupta, IAA mancom member and chief executive and founder at The Salt Inc Consulting, added that the awards celebrate not just technology, but “the people, the creativity, and the relentless effort behind it.”
Backed by Comexposium Group, ad:tech New Delhi has long tracked digital disruption. Now, with the honours, it is rewarding those who are not just adapting to change but engineering it.
In an industry racing towards automation, the message from 2026 is unmistakable. The future of marketing will be written not just in ideas, but in algorithms.
