Brands
Fastrack compelled to withdraw its latest ad
MUMBAI: Long ago, in 1995, when models Milind Soman and Madhu Sapre went bold to show their seductive side while endorsing a shoe brand, they created a furor. While the advertising fraternity claimed it to be a coming of age ad, almost all the “socially responsible” groups came together to raise their voice against the ad that put everyone associated with it in a sticky situation.
Even after almost two decades the situation doesn’t seem to have changed much. This time the youth brand, Fastrack, which has become popular for its daring stance on youth issues, is at the receiving end. A latest Out-of-Home (OOH) campaign by the fashion and lifestyle brand from the house of Tata’s shows youngsters draped in tape that has “sale” written on it.
The campaign conceptualised by Lowe Lintas was launched in the middle of this month and will be on till mid-February. Ironically, the brand, which till now has been appreciated for its unprecedented take on the social causes, had to take a step back in this case.
Sources from the industry reveal that the campaign has been at the receiving end from certain sections of the society since the time it was launched, some even claiming the ad to be objectifying women. Thus, the brand was compelled to take off the ad.
Lowe Lintas’ NCD Arun Iyer confirmed the news with indiantelevison.com and said that it was a mutual decision taken by both the teams (brand and creative) to take off the advertisement. However, a new campaign will replace it within 24 hours, he informs.
The brand has over eight million likes on Facebook.
Brands
UltraTech Cement appoints Jayant Dua as managing director
Dua will succeed K. C. Jhanwar after his term ends in December 2026
MUMBAI: UltraTech Cement, the flagship cement arm of the Aditya Birla Group, has elevated Jayant Dua as managing director, effective 1 April, 2026.
The company’s board also approved his appointment as additional director, managing director and key managerial personnel, effective 1 January, 2027, following the completion of the current managing director K C Jhanwar’s term on 31 December, 2026, according to a regulatory filing.
Dua will serve as managing director for a four-year term from 1 January, 2027 to 31 December, 2030.
A veteran executive with more than 37 years of professional experience, Dua joined the Aditya Birla Group’s cement business in 1996 and spent nearly a decade in various functional and leadership roles.
Over the past two decades, he has held several profit-and-loss and chief executive responsibilities across multiple group businesses, including insulators, insurance, Century Cement and the chlor-alkali segment. In 2023, he was elevated to lead the group’s renewables and textiles businesses.
Within the group, Dua has received several internal honours, including the chairman’s individual award for exceptional contribution in 2002, the outstanding leader award in 2009 and the leader of leaders recognition in 2022.
He holds an engineering degree from Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, an MBA from International Management Institute and has completed the advanced management programme at Harvard Business School.
