MAM
Essel launches Itz Cash to partner Playwin
MUMBAI: Another innovative product comes out of the Essel group.
The Subhash Chandra led company which spawned the money spinning online lottery venture in the country, Playwin, has floated another product that will not only entice introduce a payment mode for applications like shopping online, surfing the net , making overseas calls but also to play Playwin games by calling from a telephone or cell phone.
Itz Cash, launched by a Essel company Intrex India recently, has made a quiet entry in the market, supported by a radio and print campaign and easy availability at all pre-paid cellular outlets and Playwin terminals in Mumbai. While the product basically attracts cell phone users (chiefly the SEC A and B consumers, who have thus far shunned online lottery) into playing the fortune games, allowing them to play Super Lotto, Thunderball and Max Lotto, the company has also tied up with Orange to enable consumers to play Super Lotto via SMS.
The compnay has also tied up with Rediff.com to induce online viewers into using the stored value card for online shopping and with HCL Infinet for enabling payment for buying and renewal of Internet connections.
According to the official Itz Cash website, the parent company Intrex India Limited is a public limited company incorporated in 2000 by the Essel Group, set up wit to play a revolutionary role in the financial services industry. Intrex, says the site, has set up two innovative businesses within the span of two years of its operations – the Intrex Trade Exchange and ITZ Cash.
ITZ Cash introduces multipurpose stored value cards of various denomination (Rs 100, Rs 250 and Rs 500) which can be used to purchase various goods and services from affiliated merchants based on an ‘anywhere, anytime’ concept. This, the company aims, will offer an opportunity to various business organizations to sell their product and services to consumers.
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.
