Brands
Havas takes ‘Play’ brand global
Mumbai: Havas Group has unveiled Havas Play, a new global network that will earn consumers’ attention and create enduring business impact through meaningful experiences at the intersection of entertainment, sports, technology, and fandom.
Havas Play is founded on the belief that activating where consumer passions are at play drives more meaningful engagement and increased purchase. This global network will empower all brands to activate in consumer passion points– from the arts and tech to healthcare and consumer goods. As a dedicated network within the Havas ecosystem, Havas Play will unify existing agency brands and expertise within the organization, scaling across all of Havas’ major markets and retiring the Havas Sports, and Havas Sports & Entertainment brands in markets where they currently exist.
In India, three entities, Havas Sports and Entertainment and Havas Content, both of which are part of Havas Media Group India, and Cake India, which is part of Havas Creative India, will combine and rebrand as Havas Play.
Havas Media Group India president and national head of investments R Venkatasubramanian has been given the additional responsibility to lead Havas Play in India. Havas Play will be part of the Havas Media Group India network, which is led by Mohit Joshi as its chief executive officer. Under the new structure, senior vice president Arun Kumar Rao, vice president Prachi Narayan, and managing partner Rajika Mittra will report to Venkat and will manage Sports, Content and Entertainment mandates, respectively.
The launch simplifies existing services the network offers to clients under various marques today. Havas Play leverages, upskills, and expands upon existing talent to provide strategy, ideation, creative, production, project management, and distribution across a range of core services: partnerships, influencer marketing, experiential & live events, sponsorships, social media activation & amplification, and branded entertainment.
HARMAN INTERNATIONAL – having appointed Havas as global agency of record across media and creative at the end of 2022 – now also becomes Havas Play’s first global client, with an expanded remit that appoints Havas Play as global gaming agency of record. Havas Play builds on agency experience across local markets in sports, gaming, music and entertainment for Puma, Jameson, Axa, L’Enfant Blue, and more.
“Only Havas can maximize the real opportunity of Play for brands. The launch of this global network to activate consumer passions is something we are truly best positioned to do through our Villages in bringing together the range of skills, tools and services needed to succeed in activating brands in meaningful ways, and our completely unique position within Vivendi as a global leader in entertainment. Clients of Havas Play will have unparalleled access to create meaningful experiences in collaboration with the cultural influencers that command their consumers’ attention and passion,” Havas Group Chairman and CEO Yannick Bolloré comments.
Havas Play, already established in Havas’ HQ market, France, will continue to differentiate in three ways: optimizing activation through a deep understanding of what makes brands ‘Meaningful’ based on over 12 years of research; a unique commitment to ethics, sustainability and inclusivity through the Institute for Advertising Ethics; and a bespoke approach to measuring brand experience powered by Havas’ global data platform, Converged.
“Havas Play will enable brands around the world to Play like never before, creating moments that break through to consumers in booming concert halls, cheering sports crowds, the bustle of Paris Fashion Week, and the virtual Sandbox. The connection between Havas Play and Vivendi is a true symbiotic relationship, and a shining example of how our organization works cohesively as an integrated network to generate greater value,” Bolloré added.
Havas Group India Group CEO Rana Barua said, “At Havas, we are constantly striving to assist clients in navigating the ever-changing and dynamic advertising and marketing industry by breaking down silos and creating more integrated solutions. The launch of Havas Play is a significant step in that direction. Havas Play will leverage Vivendi and Havas Group resources and has a distinct advantage that shapes core components of the planning process, such as custom data and insight from across Vivendi on fan behaviour, global music, film, gaming, and publisher IP access, and collaboration with top talent from the culture and media sphere. We saw a huge opportunity in sports, culture, and entertainment in India over the years and launched Havas Sports and Entertainment, Havas Content, and Cake India.
I am confident that by joining the forces of these three entities, Havas Play becomes a first-ever and one-of-a-kind offering in India.”
Brands
KKR sixes to power EV charger rollout under VIDA campaign
Cricket meets clean mobility as big hits spark India’s charging growth
NEW DELHI: VIDA, the electric mobility arm of Hero MotoCorp, has teamed up with Kolkata Knight Riders to launch a campaign that turns cricketing flair into real-world impact.
Titled ‘6 for 6’, the initiative promises to install a 6kW fast EV charger for every six hit by KKR during the ongoing Indian Premier League season. The idea is simple but powerful, as each big hit on the field contributes directly to expanding India’s fast-charging infrastructure.
The campaign builds on VIDA’s growing network, which already spans over 5,300 fast-charging points across more than 430 cities. With EV adoption gaining pace, the brand is using cricket’s mass appeal to accelerate both awareness and infrastructure growth.
Explaining the thinking behind the move, Hero MotoCorp emerging mobility business unit chief business officer Kausalya Nandakumar said, “Cricket has an incredible ability to unite and inspire millions across the country. With the ‘6 for 6’ campaign, we are turning every big hit on the field into a step towards a cleaner and a more accessible mobility future.”
She added that VIDA’s expanding fast-charging network and removable battery technology are designed to make EV ownership more convenient and practical for everyday users.
From the franchise’s side, the campaign is also about giving on-field moments a larger purpose. Kolkata Knight Riders chief executive officer Venky Mysore said, “The ‘6 for 6’ campaign exemplifies the potential of sport as a platform for meaningful, real-world impact. By linking every six to the expansion of EV charging infrastructure, this partnership transforms fan excitement into tangible progress.”
As part of the rollout, VIDA has introduced co-branded charging stations in KKR’s signature colours, with a flagship installation unveiled alongside team players. The chargers are designed for quick top-ups, powering VIDA scooters from zero to 80 percent in about an hour, while also being positioned along key highways to support longer journeys.
The initiative also taps into VIDA’s removable battery system, which allows users to charge using standard household plug points, adding flexibility to the charging ecosystem.
By blending the thrill of cricket with the urgency of clean mobility, VIDA and KKR have found a neat way to make every six count twice, once on the scoreboard and again on India’s road to an electric future.
