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Genesis begins handling Sony PR
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: Finally. The Sony Entertainment Television Indian account, after weeks of speculation, has moved from Roger Periera Associates to Genesis PR later this month.
While the account officially moved to Genesis from 1 January, the advertising fraternity, which had been abuzz with the news since beginning December, had said that the account would move by third week of December. The contract initially is for a year. Roger Periera Associates, which has recently divorced from Burston Marstellor, had the Sony account for just over one year, prior to which, Sony handled its PR inhouse.
Among the contenders who were vying for the Sony PR account were Genesis, RP and IPAN Public Relations, a division of the WPP group.
Genesis PR will be looking after the corporate and programming PR of Sony and SET Max channels. AXN does not fall within the ambit of the agreement and CNBC India is anyway slated to move out of the Sony bouquet to Zee Turner. HBO which has moved from Zee Turner bouquet to the Sony stable has its own PR company in CMCG India.
With SET India on board, the media account tally of Genesis PR goes up to three as the Prema Sagar-started company already has BBC World and National Geographic Channel accounts.
The SET India account was with the erstwhile BMRP till recently. Genesis PR bagging the SET account also coincides with the recent announced split between Roger Periera and BM earlier this year. Genesis PR now has an affiliation with BM, though the latter does not hold any equity stake in Genesis PR unlike the relationship it had with Roger Pereira where BM held about 49 per cent stake in BMRP.
With the cricket World Cup, to be held in South Africa, almost round the corner, at least SET Max will be needing some aggressive public and media relations activities.
MAM
Lego brings Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Vinicius together
Campaign clocks 314 million views ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 buzz.
MUMBAI: Four legends, one frame and not a single tackle in sight. Lego has pulled off a crossover few thought possible, uniting Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior in a single campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 only this time, they’re building dreams brick by brick.
Titled “Everyone wants a piece”, the campaign features the quartet assembling a Lego version of the World Cup trophy, before placing miniature versions of themselves atop it, a playful nod to football’s ultimate prize. Shared widely across social media, the ad carries a pointed disclaimer: it is not AI-generated, a subtle but telling signal in an era where even reality is often questioned.
The numbers tell their own story. The campaign has already crossed 314 million views on Instagram across the players’ accounts, with fans hailing it as a rare, almost nostalgic moment particularly for the reunion of Messi and Ronaldo, whose last shared campaign ahead of the 2022 World Cup became one of the platform’s most-liked posts.
Beyond the film, Lego is extending the play with exclusive, player-themed sets tied to each of the four stars, part of a broader football-led programme designed to ride the global momentum building towards 2026. The idea, as echoed by the players themselves, leans into the parallels between football and play experimentation, creativity, failure, and triumph.
Messi described the sets as a way to bring on-pitch moments into an imaginative, hands-on world, while Ronaldo called the transformation into a Lego figure a rare honour, blending sport with storytelling. Vinícius, meanwhile, struck a more personal note, recalling childhood moments of building with Lego and framing creativity as a universal language that transcends borders.
The timing is no accident. With the 2026 World Cup set to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and featuring an expanded 48-team format, global anticipation is already building. Argentina, led by Messi, will enter as defending champions, adding another layer of intrigue.
For Lego, the campaign does more than celebrate football, it taps into its mythology. Because when icons become figurines and rivalries turn into play, the beautiful game finds a new kind of pitch. one built, quite literally, by hand.
