Brands
Game set match for Pokkt as it powers Unilever’s winning streak
MUMBAI: Turns out scrubbing up well isn’t just for laundry, it’s a winning formula for gaming too. Pokkt, the mobile marketing arm of Anymind Group, has emerged as the unsung MVP of this year’s Festival of Media Global (FOMG) Awards 2025, fuelling a string of Unilever-led campaigns that walked away with top honours. Among the winning spin cycles: Gold for Best Use of Gaming for Domex, Gold for Best Use of Online for the cross-brand “Gaming Boosts Laundry” campaign (featuring Wheel, Rin, and Surf Excel), and Bronze for Best Use of Gaming for the broader Laundry Brands initiative.
Not bad for brands that usually stick to your bathroom shelf.
Behind the sudsy success lies a refreshing strategy, Pokkt’s signature approach of non-disruptive gaming integrations that slip seamlessly into digital play. No awkward banner ads or jarring pop-ups here, just cleverly woven game mechanics that keep users engaged and brands top-of-mind, all while delivering trackable results.
In a landscape where attention spans flit faster than a Tiktok scroll, this method is anything but soft touch. Pokkt transforms passive product education into choose-your-own-adventure moments. Want to learn how a cleaner toilet can save lives? Why not do it while beating a level? That’s precisely the magic behind campaigns like Domex’s.
It’s also no small feat to make homecare and personal hygiene exciting yet by turning “routine” categories into playable narratives, these campaigns showed that even detergent can pack digital dazzle.
According to Anymind Group, these wins aren’t just accolades, they’re proof that interactive storytelling is the new currency of consumer engagement. In a world of digital distraction, making users want to watch your ad better yet, play it is the future.
With the festival spotlight shining bright, the message is loud and clear: the best campaigns don’t just clean up, they play smart, hit level-ups, and leave audiences asking for another round.
Brands
Hocco crosses Rs 530cr revenue in two years
Sauce.vc-led Rs 100cr raise values ice cream brand at Rs 2,500cr pre-money as quick commerce hits 20 per cent of sales.
MUMBAI: Hocco has just scooped a seriously sweet milestone crossing the Rs 530 crore revenue mark in just two full years of operations. The fast-growing Indian ice cream and indulgence brand announced it has raised Rs 100 crore in fresh capital led by Sauce.vc. The round values the company at Rs 2,500 crore pre-money and underscores investor confidence in its rapid scale and distinctive India-first approach.
Founder Ankit Chona said the brand’s success stems from solving real Indian challenges extreme summer heat, fragmented cold chains and culturally rooted tastes. “In India, product development doesn’t end in the lab. It only ends when it survives the street,” he noted. This philosophy has produced viral hits such as Aamchi mango ice cream, BIX cake-sponge sandwiches, the Oh cone and culturally relevant collaborations like Haldiram’s Barfi and festive Modak specials.
Hocco currently operates manufacturing facilities in Ahmedabad and Panipat with a production capacity of approximately 3 lakh litres per day, running near full capacity in peak season. The fresh capital will help expand this to around 4.5 lakh litres per day.
Quick commerce has emerged as a major growth engine, now contributing ~20 per cent of overall business and growing nearly 2x year-on-year. The channel has boosted product discovery, increased consumption frequency and helped extend ice cream beyond its traditional seasonal limits.
Sauce.vc founder Manu Chandra said, “At Sauce, we believe that when you chance upon an outlier business, you double down with stronger conviction. We see Hocco as just that.”
With a strong innovation pipeline, deeper distribution and continued focus on cultural relevance, Hocco is entering its third year aiming to capture even more mind space and market share. In a category long dominated by legacy players, this young brand is proving that the coolest way to win is to build for India’s realities, one scoop, one street and one satisfied craving at a time.
