MAM
From chocolates to toothpaste: Wavemaker’s Chintan Thakker switches lanes
MUMBAI: Chintan Thakker has traded sweet treats for dental care. The senior business director at Wavemaker India, who spent the past four years crafting campaigns for Mondelez’s snacking empire, is now leading the agency’s integrated marketing communications for Colgate.
The move caps a 14-year career that began in social media analysis and meandered through entrepreneurship before landing Thakker in his current role. His time with Mondelez proved particularly fruitful: the campaigns he orchestrated earned India its first Cannes Titanium Lion and racked up over 300 national and international awards in just two and a half years.
Thakker joined Wavemaker in May 2021 as director of innovation and integrated marketing communications, building a seven-person team and driving technology and content partnerships for Mondelez India. He was promoted to senior business director this month./
His earlier ventures were less gilded. In 2015, Thakker co-founded twentythree, a boutique digital agency that worked with Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and TLC. He also launched Odd Giraffe Lifestyle, a women’s brand that folded after seven months in 2017—a failure he credits with sharpening his strategic instincts.
Before striking out on his own, Thakker climbed the ranks at digital agencies Gozoop and EveryMedia Tech, managing social media for brands including Hyundai, PepsiCo and Bollywood studios. He started his career in 2011 as a video editor and reporter at Fuzion Productions.
The Colgate account marks fresh territory for Thakker, who has spent recent years immersed in the language of indulgence. Now he must master the vocabulary of oral hygiene.
Brands
JK Maxx Paints ropes in Akshay Kumar to boost brand visibility push
Actor’s trust-led appeal set to strengthen connect in décor market
MUMBAI: JK Maxx Paints has signed Akshay Kumar as its brand ambassador, as the company looks to scale up visibility and deepen its connect with consumers in India’s competitive decorative paints market.
The move is part of a broader strategy to position the brand around trust and performance, qualities closely associated with Kumar’s public persona. With a strong connect among Indian households, the actor is expected to help the company strike a more relatable chord with home owners.
Welcoming the partnership, JK Maxx Paints business head white cement and paints Nitish Chopra said, “This partnership marks an important milestone in our journey to scale JK Maxx Paints as a strong, future-ready brand. As we expand our presence across markets, our focus remains on building deeper consumer trust and delivering high-performance solutions. Akshay Kumar’s credibility and widespread appeal make him a powerful partner in amplifying our brand story and strengthening our connect with consumers across India.”
Echoing the sentiment, Akshay Kumar highlighted the brand’s legacy and familiarity among Indian consumers. “Some associations just feel right from the heart. This is one of them. JK Maxx Paints carries a legacy that people already believe in. When a name like JK WallMaxx Wall Putty is so deeply woven into homes, it’s not just familiarity, it’s a sense of comfort and trust,” he said.
Launched in 2023 and backed by the legacy of JK WallMaxx Wall Putty from JK White Cement, the paints business has been steadily expanding its footprint. The company operates a manufacturing facility in Rajasthan and an R and D centre in Navi Mumbai, offering a wide portfolio across interior and exterior paints, textures and waterproofing solutions.
The new partnership will roll out through a multi-platform campaign spanning television, digital, print, outdoor and retail channels.
With a trusted face now fronting its colours, JK Maxx Paints is clearly aiming to paint a bigger picture in India’s home décor market.
