MAM
France’s BPI aligns APAC media biz with MPG Media Contacts
MUMBAI: French fragrance company Beaute Prestige International (BPI) has appointed Havas Media agency, MPG Media Contacts, as its regional media AOR.
The account will be handled out of the agency‘s Singapore office. The incumbent agency on the account is Carat Singapore.
The mandate includes responsibilities of the offline and online media planning and buying duties for brands under BPI umbrella, including Issey Miyake, Jean Paul Gaultier, Elie Saab and Narciso Rodriguez.
BPI is based in based in Paris and has regional offices in Miami and Singapore. It was founded in 1990.
BPI Asia Pacific marketing director Karen Cheong said, “We have chosen MPG because they have a strong experience working with luxury and fragrance brands. Their support network of offices in 18 markets across Asia-Pacific, coordinated out of their regional hub in Singapore closely matches our own regional set-up and will allow us to benefit from both local and regional expertise in media buying.”
Havas Media Singapore CEO Melvin Lim said, “BPI has an iconic roster of brands and we are happy to be given an opportunity to work on them. Our expertise and success in working with luxury brands was what encouraged the clients to entrust this account to us. The team in Singapore is already working on the media strategy and plans for the brands under the BPI umbrella.”
Digital
India leads global adoption of ChatGPT Images 2.0 in first week
From anime avatars to fantasy covers, users turn AI visuals into culture
NEW DELHI: India has emerged as the largest user base for ChatGPT Images 2.0, just a week after its launch by OpenAI, underlining the country’s growing influence on global internet trends.
While the tool was introduced as an advanced image-generation upgrade within ChatGPT, Indian users are quickly reshaping its purpose. Instead of sticking to productivity-led use cases, many are embracing it as a creative playground for self-expression, storytelling and online identity.
From anime-style portraits and cinematic headshots to tarot-inspired visuals and fictional newspaper front pages, the model is being used to create highly stylised, shareable content. Features such as accurate text rendering, multilingual prompts and the ability to generate detailed visuals with minimal input have helped drive rapid adoption.
What sets the latest model apart is its ability to “think” through prompts, generating multiple outputs and adapting to context, including real-time web inputs. But the bigger story lies in how users are engaging with it.
In India, trends are already taking shape. Popular formats include dramatic studio-style lighting edits, LinkedIn-ready headshots, manga-inspired avatars, soft pastel “spring” aesthetics, AI-led fashion moodboards, paparazzi-style visuals and fantasy newspaper covers. Users are also restoring old photographs, creating tarot-style imagery and experimenting with futuristic design concepts.
Local flavour is adding another layer. Prompts such as cinematic portrait collages and Y2K-inspired romantic edits are gaining traction, blending global aesthetics with distinctly Indian internet culture.
The surge reflects a broader shift in how AI tools are being used in the country, moving beyond utility to creativity. As younger users, creators and social media enthusiasts experiment with new visual formats, AI-generated imagery is increasingly becoming part of everyday digital expression.
If early trends hold, ChatGPT Images 2.0 may not just be a tech upgrade but a cultural moment, giving millions a new visual language to play with online.
