MAM
Havas Media expands Ecselis in APAC
MUMBAI: Havas Media has announced the expansion of its specialist Performance and quantitative marketing arm, Ecselis ,to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Sydney.
Ecselis will be headquartered in Singapore and will be led by Rajeev Bala who takes charge as MD for Asia Pacific. He will report to Havas Media Asia Pacific CEO Vishnu Mohan.
The Kuala Lumpur and Sydney offices are likely to be fully functional by the end of second quarter.
Mohan said, “The need for advanced quantitative and performance orientated skill sets is growing rapidly. Rajeev has done a great job of building Media Contacts in the region, and has the deep domain and consultative expertise to grow Ecselis, as we expand our digital footprint across the region.”
Bala joined Media Contacts in 2008 to lead the Singapore operations and was later promoted to the role of regional director of Media Contacts for Southeast Asia.
On his new role, Bala said, “Ecselis is already an established organisation with very niche skills. I am excited by the opportunities and see Ecselis evolving into a deeply specialised company. We have aggressive plans for growing this across APAC over the next four quarters.”
Ecselis was launched in 2009. At present, it has a team of 55 performance experts based in the country with clients across SEA, India, Europe and Australia.
The agency will complement Havas Media’s existing brands MPG, Media Contacts, Mobext and HS&E by providing specialised services including Conversion Rate Optimisation, Attribution Modelling, Quality Score Management in addition to data, search and analytics.
MAM
Catch launches TVC for iodised pink rock salt push
DS Group expands beyond spices with campaign going live April 20
MUMBAI: A pinch of salt just got a personality and a prime-time slot to match. Catch Salt & Spices, part of the Dharampal Satyapal Group, has rolled out its first television campaign for Catch Premium Iodised Pink Rock Salt, signalling a clear step beyond its core spices and sprinklers play. Conceptualised by Dentsu Creative Webchutney, the campaign leans into a product-led narrative, aiming to build awareness in the relatively less-explored salt segment. The film goes live from April 20 across television and digital platforms, including social media and OTT, as the brand seeks scale and visibility.
Set in a neighbourhood play area, the TVC swaps hard selling for a slice-of-life moment. Two mothers chat while their children hover nearby until a young girl takes centre stage, confidently breaking down the origins and benefits of pink rock salt. The message lands softly but clearly: even everyday ingredients now come with a story.
The creative pivot reflects a broader shift in consumer behaviour. Salt, long treated as a commodity, is being reframed as a conscious choice part health cue, part lifestyle signal. By placing a child at the centre of the narrative, the film plays on the idea that awareness is no longer confined to adults; it’s trickling down, reshaping household decisions.
For DS Group, the campaign marks more than a product launch, it’s a category expansion. With Catch already established in spices, the move into salt positions the brand to tap into adjacent kitchen essentials, while reinforcing its long-standing thought that food is more than just fuel.
In a market where differentiation is often hard to sprinkle in, Catch is betting that storytelling and a dash of everyday relatability can do the heavy lifting.
