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Harmful labels work the other way round: Martin Lindstrom
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Speaking at the World Brand Congress 2010 here today, Lindstrom said the government‘s steps to reduce smoking through mandatory cautionary messages have been ineffective and have actually worked the other way round. In his study of neuroscience and sensory branding, Lindstrom found that cigarette packs with warning failed to dissuade smokers; on the contrary, it encouraged them to smoke more.  Highlighting the importance of subliminal advertising, Lindstrom cited the example of the mysterious barcode on Ferrari F1 cars. The European Public Health Commissioner claimed that the red, white and black barcode was designed to look like a packet of Marlboro cigarettes. This kind of surrogate advertising, vehemently denied by both Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo and the owners of Marlboro, is actually banned on F1 cars. The brand futurist also discussed the various aspects of Somatic Markers. In one of his surveys, people were made to eat McDonald‘s French fries in two different packets – one with a logo and the other without one. “French fries in a packet with logo tasted 96 percent better than the one with no logo. This is the result of people‘s association or connection with a brand,” Linstrom elaborated. |
MUMBAI: The cigarette industry has actually gained from the ‘harmful labels‘ that come along with the packs, said noted brand consultant Martin Lindstrom.
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Hyphen launches sunscreen campaign featuring Kriti Sanon as SPF Police
Campaign drives SPF habit; Blinkit tie-up enables instant sunscreen delivery.
MUMBAI: No SPF, no mercy Kriti Sanon is out patrolling your skincare routine. Hyphen has rolled out a new campaign film starring its Co-Founder and Chief Customer Officer Kriti Sanon, who steps into a playful alter ego as the brand’s “SPF Police”, turning sunscreen reminders into a full-blown public service announcement with a wink. The campaign kicked off with a cheeky social media tease suggesting Sanon had “stepped down” from her role, sparking chatter online before the brand revealed the twist: she hasn’t gone anywhere, she has simply taken on an additional avatar, one dedicated to ensuring people do not skip sunscreen.
The film leans into humour to drive home a serious point. In a slice-of-life setting, Sanon intercepts a gym-goer about to step out without sunscreen, promptly handing over Hyphen’s ‘All I Need Sunscreen’, which arrives instantly via Blinkit. The message is clear: forgetting SPF is no longer a valid excuse when it can be delivered in minutes.
Beyond the laughs, the campaign taps into a well-known gap in everyday skincare habits. Sunscreen, despite being one of the most recommended steps, is often the most ignored. By gamifying the reminder through an “SPF Police” persona, Hyphen aims to turn a routine into a reflex.
The multi-stage rollout from intrigue-led teasers to the final film has been designed to spark conversation while embedding the brand into daily behaviour. It also spotlights Hyphen’s quick commerce partnership with Blinkit, positioning accessibility as a key enabler of consistency.
Sanon, who remains closely involved in product development and brand strategy, noted that the idea stemmed from a simple insight: skincare works best when it is easy, habitual and hard to ignore. The campaign reflects that philosophy equal parts science, storytelling and a nudge you cannot quite escape.
The film is now live across Hyphen and Blinkit’s digital platforms, with further activations expected to extend the campaign’s reach and perhaps keep the SPF Police on duty a little longer.
