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Essence appoints Magda Wolder as head of experience, APAC
New Delhi: Essence, a global data and measurement-driven media agency which is part of GroupM, on Tuesday appointed Magda Wolder as head of experience, APAC. Based out of Singapore, she will lead the agency’s creative, content innovation and studio capabilities in the region.
Joining Essence in 2018, Wolder was previously head of creative Strategy, EMEA at the agency’s London office. With over a decade of experience bringing advertising and ideas together in the media, technology and entertainment industries, she earlier worked as a senior researcher for EMEA at Netflix in the Netherlands, as well as a lead creative strategist and head of customer closeness at Sky in the United Kingdom.
“In addition to my focus to drive personalisation at scale for our clients in APAC, I am keen to help nurture emerging creative talent and imagination in this region. We have a very talented creative team on the ground here and I cannot wait to see what we will achieve together in 2021,” said Wolder on the new role.
Essence’s Experience capabilities utilise data science and machine learning to deliver more relevant, meaningful and effective personalised experiences, while protecting consumers’ data privacy. In APAC, Wolder will head a team of creative strategists, conceptual thinkers, design experts and technology-powered production partners to create data-driven creative innovation for Essence’s clients in the region.
“We are delighted to have Magda join our APAC team. With her impressive brand experience, as well as her deep understanding of Essence’s unified approach to data that brings creative and media closer together, we are looking forward to the creative innovation she will bring to media channels and content programmes for our clients in this region,” said Essence senior vice president, client partner, APAC and managing director, Singapore, Monica Bhatia
“With Magda’s leadership, I am excited about the creative technology and experience products our Experience team will continue to deliver through Essence Global Ventures, which will be scaled to help brands across APAC and globally succeed in the new economy,” said Essence CEO APAC, T. Gangadhar.
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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.
