MAM
G-Shock India launches new brand campaign ‘Rise Above the Shocks’
Mumbai: Wieden+Kennedy India, unveils ‘Rise Above The Shocks,’ a compelling campaign designed to encourage individuals to tackle adversities with unwavering determination and resilience. Embodying G-SHOCK’s ethos of constant evolution and Shubman Gill’s relentless spirit, the campaign portrays the GA-2100 series as a symbol of survival in the face of challenges. The campaign celebrates the collaboration of these two entities with three impactful films.
The campaign will go live across channels including social media, OOH and OTT amongst others.
Casio India managing director Hideki Imai said “ We mark a pivotal moment in the journey of G-SHOCK in India, inspired by the core values of Absolute Toughness and the spirit of ‘never giving up’. Our ‘Rise Above the Shocks’ campaign with Shubman Gill taps into the Indian ethos of perseverance and resilience, aligning seamlessly with G-SHOCK’s reputation for toughness and durability. We couldn’t be happier to spearhead this campaign with the reigning Youth Icon from the cricketing world, Shubman Gill, who embodies the same unyielding character emblematic of our timepieces. Collectively, our mission is to celebrate the DNA of resilience and grit amongst the GenZ and millennial audiences in India by being a talisman for their ability to persist through life’s trials and emerge stronger and brighter, just like the G-SHOCK brand.”
Speaking about the campaign, Wieden+Kennedy India national creative director Kapil Batra said – “Shubhman is called ‘The Prince of Indian Cricket’, for a reason. He has overcome challenges, won battles, and shattered perceptions to earn this title. In a similar vein, the G-SHOCK has gained its reputation as one of the toughest watches for good reason. Its toughness is a result of rigorous testing and an exceptional ability to endure any shock. We thoroughly enjoyed working on this campaign. It’s a celebration of Shubhman’s and G-Shock’s shared ability to rise above any shock, presented in a visually captivating way, by the filmmaker Raylin Valles and his team at 10 Films.”
Wieden+Kennedy India head of business Shreekant Srinivasan said – “At Wieden + Kennedy we help brands discover the power of their voice, and that’s what we want to achieve with ‘Rise above the Shocks’. Working around the business challenge of making an iconic brand relevant to the Gen-Zs of India, this campaign aims to position the brand as more than just timepieces; but as fashion statements and symbols of individuality.”
MAM
Brands push beyond compliance as trust takes centre stage
ASCI AdTrust Summit 2026 spotlights shift from legal checks to credibility.
MUMBAI: In a world where a disclaimer can be legally sound yet socially suspect, brands are learning that compliance may tick boxes but trust wins markets. At the inaugural ASCI AdTrust Summit 2026, a panel on “Beyond Compliance: The New Currency of Trust” unpacked a growing industry reality: the gap between what the law permits and what consumers accept is widening and fast.
Moderated by Meenakshi Ramkumar of National Law School of India University, the discussion brought together leaders across law, marketing and academia to examine how brands must evolve in a digital ecosystem increasingly shaped by scrutiny, scepticism and speed.
Ramkumar set the tone by highlighting a critical shift, advertising today operates in the same digital space that fuels misinformation, scams and fake news, making credibility harder to establish. “The challenge is not just about what brands do, but the broader context of low institutional trust,” she noted, adding that when violations go unchecked, trust erodes not just in brands but in the regulatory system itself.
This vacuum, she said, has given rise to consumer activism from boycotts to social media backlash as a parallel accountability mechanism.
For Amit Bhasin, Chief Legal Officer at Marico, the distinction was clear, legal compliance is non negotiable, but insufficient. “Compliance is the minimum threshold. The real challenge is staying aligned with changing consumer expectations,” he said.
He pointed to how advertising narratives have evolved from traditional depictions of gender roles to more shared responsibilities reflecting a broader societal shift. “Earlier, it was fine to show one person doing the household work. Today, that may not land well. Consumers expect brands to reflect reality,” Bhasin observed.
He also highlighted internal debates where campaigns that may be legally permissible are still rejected for being culturally insensitive, noting that responsible advertising often requires asking uncomfortable questions before the public does.
If compliance is the baseline, reputation is the battlefield.
Bhasin noted that reputational risk has become a far greater concern than legal exposure, particularly in an era where campaigns can be dissected within hours online. “Earlier, a controversial ad might invite a newspaper editorial. Today, within hours, you’re at the centre of a storm,” he said.
Brands, he added, now evaluate campaigns through a dual lens legal viability and reputational vulnerability with the latter often proving more decisive.
From a healthcare perspective, Satish Sahoo of Cipla Health underscored the complexity of operating within fragmented yet stringent regulatory frameworks, spanning drugs, food, cosmetics and Ayush. “Anything under a drug licence is the most tightly regulated,” he said, adding that this necessitates proactive, not reactive, compliance.
He shared an example from the oral rehydration salts (ORS) category, where Cipla resisted the temptation to position products aggressively despite competitive pressure. “Our product is WHO compliant, and our communication reflects that. We chose not to blur the lines, even if others did,” he noted.
The long term payoff, he suggested, lies in credibility built over consistency, not quick wins.
Yet, as Harsha N of National Law School of India University pointed out, even perfect compliance does not guarantee trust. Drawing from historical and modern examples from exaggerated product claims in the 1800s to contemporary environmental and health advertising, he argued that legal frameworks often lag behind consumer expectations. “A brand can be fully compliant and still be perceived as misleading,” he said, citing instances where fine print disclosures fail to reach or convince the average consumer. He added that larger companies carry a disproportionate responsibility to set ethical benchmarks, even in areas where the law remains silent.
The conversation also turned to digital advertising, where the challenge extends beyond content to how ads are experienced. From algorithmic targeting to personalised messaging, brands now operate in an environment where regulation struggles to keep pace with technology.
Sahoo noted that social media has amplified awareness, with influencers and consumers increasingly scrutinising product claims and calling out inconsistencies. “Awareness has gone up dramatically. People are questioning what goes into products and what brands are saying,” he said.
The role of self regulatory bodies such as Advertising Standards Council of India also came under the spotlight.
Harsha acknowledged that while SROs play a crucial role, they are not immune to criticism, particularly around perceived conflicts of interest and enforcement gaps. “SROs have a higher threshold of responsibility not just to interpret the law, but to anticipate societal expectations,” he said.
He added that failures in self regulation often push the burden back onto government intervention, underscoring the need for stronger, more proactive oversight.
One of the more nuanced debates centred on whether building trust comes at a cost. While Sahoo acknowledged that quality and compliance can increase costs, he argued that companies must absorb them as part of their long term strategy.
Bhasin, however, framed the challenge differently not as cost, but as competitiveness in a market where not all players play by the same rules. “The real tension is when others cut corners and you choose not to,” he said.
The panel concluded with a call to embed trust into business metrics.
Sahoo suggested that organisations must go beyond revenue targets to include consumer equity and trust based KPIs, ensuring that ethical considerations are not sidelined in the pursuit of growth. “Trust sounds abstract, but it can translate into measurable consumer equity,” he said.
As the discussion wrapped up, one message stood out: the rules of advertising are being rewritten not just by regulators, but by consumers themselves. In an ecosystem where attention is fleeting and scepticism is high, brands that merely comply may survive, but those that build trust are the ones that endure.
