MAM
Emotions rule the roost in top international ads
MUMBAI: With temperatures dipping and holiday season around the corner, brands overseas are churning out more dollars to advertise and communicate with viewers. This is the foreign version of India’s Diwali time when ad slots are exorbitantly priced. Using the Christmas holidays, every brand tries to be cheeky in the ads. An increase in ad inventory also aids them.
Continuing with our weekly series to present most loved international ads of the week, we bring to you our second edition. This week saw Serena Williams, who recently delivered a baby girl, sharing a heartfelt message to her daughter. We also see Samsung’s make fun of people who waste time in watching the washing machine tumbling clothes while Smirnoff takes a stand for the LGBT community.
If you are looking for some inspiration to power you through this week, the new video from Gatorade will likely do the trick for you. 23-time grand slam champion Serena Williams is seen narrating a message to her newborn baby girl in the commercial to play sports for the lessons they can teach and the impact they can have. She says in the ad, “Sports will teach you the strength of your allies. Whether your bond is by blood or by ball, whether she shares the colour of your skin or the colour of your jersey, you’ll find sisters in sweat.”
Samsung created a three-minute long film about a washing machine. That’s right, it is a whole film about clothes tumbling round and round while you watch it. According to Samsung’s research, British adults on an average spend 88,904 minutes of their lives watching the washing machine go around. The whole point of the ad was to tell viewers that you shouldn’t be spending much time watching the washing machine and that there is a faster washing machine available with Samsung. Sounds boring? But it surely has connected with an unnoticed habit!
Toyota has created its new holiday ad that features a real family of actors — grandparents, their daughter and her husband, and their children. The ad features a powerful, multigenerational story about a family and the tree they have loved for years. Conceptualised by Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles, the campaign was aired between The Voice and This is Us as the only ad in the break. It was purposely filmed in the This Is Us show by taking nostalgic cues from it with a tale of two generations.
Vodka brand Smirnoff has launched its new campaign to help inspire Britain’s nightlife to become more open-minded about gender and is partnering with the LGBT Foundation to enforce real change. The commercial features people from the LGBT community and asks people to be more inclusive and accepting of gay people. The film ends with a message, “Labels are for bottles, not people”. Now that’s powerful!
Brands
Magnum Ice Cream Netherlands takes control of Kwality Wall’s India from Unilever
61.9 per cent stake transfer reshapes ownership as Unilever exits promoter role
MUMBAI: Kwality Wall’s (India) Limited has entered a new chapter, with The Magnum Ice Cream Company HoldCo 1 Netherlands B.V. acquiring a controlling 61.9 per cent stake from a clutch of Unilever PLC-led entities, marking a significant shift in ownership.
The transaction, completed on March 30, 2026, follows a share purchase agreement signed in June 2025. The incoming promoter picked up over 145 crore equity shares, effectively taking control of the company and being formally classified as its new promoter under regulatory norms.
As part of the deal, the outgoing promoter group, including Unilever Group Limited and its affiliated entities, has fully exited its shareholding in the company. They have now been reclassified from promoter to public shareholders, closing a long-standing association with the ice cream business in India.
The board of Kwality Wall’s (India) Limited took note of the ownership change and approved a series of leadership updates alongside it. Ritesh Tiwari stepped down as director, while Abhijit Bhattacharya was appointed as chairperson and additional non-executive director. Tahir Toloy Tanridagli also joined the board as an additional non-executive director.
The reshuffle signals a broader strategic reset as the Magnum-led entity looks to steer the brand’s next phase of growth in India. The transition has been carried out in line with regulatory requirements, including disclosures tied to the open offer and reclassification norms under market regulations.
With Unilever stepping back and Magnum stepping in, Kwality Wall’s India is effectively getting a fresh scoop of leadership and direction. The coming months will reveal how the new promoter plans to scale the brand in one of the world’s most competitive ice cream markets.
