Brands
Eye on safety: V-Guard’s Puja film urges vigilance for women’s protection
MUMBAI: Specs appeal with a sting. V-Guard has marked Durga Puja with a stirring campaign that flips fiction into a wake-up call on women’s safety. The electricals major’s new ad film, ‘The third eye,’ opens with a striking concept: futuristic eyewear that scans faces, flags harassers, and alerts the police. As the young protagonist walks the streets, troublemakers are swiftly identified, creating a sense of safety and power.
But then comes the gut punch. The glasses aren’t real, only the menace is. V-Guard’s message is simple: society must not wait for miracle gadgets to shield women. Instead, each of us must awaken our own “third eye” of awareness to reflect, respect and protect.
Launched during Durga Puja, the campaign draws a sharp parallel with the goddess herself, worshipped as a symbol of strength and courage, reminds viewers to honour that spirit in every woman, every day.
“Durga Puja is a timeless reminder that good conquers evil. The real tribute lies in how we protect and respect women around us,” said V-Guard, vp – brand & communication, Nandagopal Nair.
Directed by Ralph&Das’s, Anil Ralph Thomas, the AI-powered yet human-scripted film was designed to be an eye opener, not a tech fantasy. To widen the message, V-Guard has partnered with Instagram influencers to spark conversations online.
This festive season, the brand invites everyone to awaken their inner third eye, not through gadgets, but through conscience.
Brands
Lululemon picks former Nike executive to be its next chief
Heidi O’Neill, who helped grow Nike into a $45 billion giant, will take the top job in September
CANADA: Lululemon has found its next chief executive, and she comes with serious credentials. The athleisure giant named Heidi O’Neill as its new CEO on Wednesday, ending a search that has left the company running on interim leadership since earlier this year. O’Neill will take charge on September 8, 2026, based out of Vancouver, and will join the board on the same day.
O’Neill brings more than three decades of experience across performance apparel, footwear and sport. The bulk of that time was spent at Nike, where she was a central figure in one of corporate sport’s great growth stories, helping take the company from a $9 billion business to a $45 billion global powerhouse. She oversaw product pipelines, brand strategy and consumer connections, and played a significant role in shaping how Nike spoke to athletes around the world. Earlier in her career, she worked in marketing for the Dockers brand at Levi Strauss. She also brings boardroom experience from Spotify Technology, Hyatt Hotels and Lithia and Driveway.
The board was unequivocal in its enthusiasm. “We selected Heidi because of the breadth of her experience, her demonstrated success delivering breakthrough ideas and initiatives at scale, and her ability to be a knowledgeable change and growth agent,” said Marti Morfitt, executive chair of Lululemon’s board.
O’Neill, for her part, was bullish. “Lululemon is an iconic brand with something rare: genuine guest love, a product ethos rooted in innovation, and a global platform still in the early stages of its potential,” she said. “My job will be to accelerate product breakthroughs, deepen the brand’s cultural relevance, and unlock growth in markets around the world.”
Until she arrives, Meghan Frank and André Maestrini will continue as interim co-CEOs, before returning to their previous senior leadership roles once O’Neill steps in.
Lululemon is betting that a Nike veteran who helped build one of the world’s most powerful sports brands can do something similar for an athleisure label that has genuine love from its customers but is still chasing its full global potential. O’Neill has done it before at scale. The question now is whether she can do it again.
