MAM
Helix’s ‘Waste Time’ brand message to woo youth
MUMBAI: 150-year-old watch company Timex has launched the latest advertising for its youth brand Helix.
JWT is the creative force behind this campaign. The communication aims as projecting Helix a brand that youth can own, both in attitude and style.
With the youth watch market growing at 15 per cent and limited brands that provide trendy and affordable merchandise, global watch manufacturer Timex decided to launch a sub-brand that specifically targeted the college going segment.
The campaign is built around the concept of time according to the young generation, which is the TG for the brand. It takes inspiration from the insight that ‘from school to college, a new sense of freedom begins to unfold, when the young begin to explore limitless time with limited money in their wallets.’
According to this insight, the youth today sees the present time, i.e. ‘now’ as the only time hang out and just be, make fabulous friends, do spontaneous things and be free spirited and uninhibited. The campaign, thus, tries to reflect the youth’s sentiment — ‘I want to spend time exploring and enjoying the present but I am expected to join the rat race to ensure my future is bright when I am already confident that it will be.’
Since the brand communication is aimed at college going youth, the theme of the campaign is also derived from the different aspects of college life like the summer holidays and the time collegians spent in the canteen having a good time.
The idea was to go against the tradition where everybody keeps advising the youth to ‘do something, this is your time, stop wasting it.’ Instead the camoaign says, “Go Ahead and Waste Time.’ It is a new way of telling the youth that this is the only time they have the luxury to explore their options and have a good time.
The campaign includes a one minute thematic film accompanied by two launch ads that celebrate the philosophy of ‘Waste Time’. Following these, the brand launched followed up ads spanning 20 seconds each that showed innovative ways of ‘wasting’ time. The videos and TVCs were supported by online presence through a Facbook page, print ads and cinema advertising at various theatres. The films have been produced by Flying Pigs Production.
JWT SVP and executive planning director said, “The campaign idea is truly provocative for a watch brand. In a fresh and disruptive way, it blends the truth about youth lives with the category. Young consumers have responded really favourably to the boldness of a liberating brand thought – Waste Time. This campaign sets the tone for Helix – a cool young brand with a distinct attitude and distinct designs.”
Timex India head marketing Vinit Kapahi explains, ‘With an active and growing youth watch market, we wanted to offer trendy and international range of watches at an affordable price point. Designed by internationally acclaimed and Milan based designer, Giorgio Galli, the collection is targeted to the global youth of today, men and women in the age group of 18-24 years. The campaign is clutter breaking, bold and attempts to resonate with the lives of young people in college. The core team at JWT including Account Management, Creative and Planning with their understanding and passion, along with us, believe in the power of – Waste Time, You Will Never Be Young Again’.
MAM
Deepfakes target women in 93 per cent of cases, report finds
Pi-labs study shows 900 per cent rise in female-focused synthetic media; India sees 60 per cent jump in cybercrime complaints.
MUMBAI: Deepfakes aren’t just fooling cameras, they’re hitting women hardest, turning pixels into a new kind of weapon. A new report from creator intelligence platform Pi-labs has revealed that nearly 93 per cent of deepfake victims are women, with deepfake content targeting females surging 900% in recent years. The findings paint synthetic media as a fast-escalating digital threat with a stark gendered impact.
In India, cybercrime complaints involving women rose from about 50,000 in 2024 to nearly 80,000 by 2026, an increase of roughly 60 per cent in just two years. Almost 98 per cent of deepfake pornography is aimed at women, often powered by face-swapping apps and bot networks that disproportionately target females, including school-age girls. Victims typically fall in the 18–30 age group, with Bengaluru reporting a growing share of cases.
Globally, 62 per cent of deepfake abuse cases involving women go unreported due to stigma, in India, over one-third of women facing online harassment take no action, and many reduce their digital presence after abuse. Close to 33 per cent of women remain unaware of protective laws.
City-level trends show Bengaluru leading with nearly 30 per cent of complaints, followed by Hyderabad (14 per cent), Mumbai (13 per cent), Chennai and Kolkata (5 per cent each), and Delhi (3 per cent).
Pi-labs, CEO and founder Anukush Tiwari said, “AI is one of the most powerful technologies of our time, but like every powerful tool, it reflects the intent of those who use it. We are witnessing a growing trust deficit in digital spaces, where identity can be manipulated within minutes and reputations can be damaged overnight.”
Image morphing and deepfake videos remain the most common forms of misuse. The report also notes a new trend: fully AI-generated female personas (not based on real individuals) gaining high engagement on social platforms, raising questions about digital credibility.
Detection remains challenging due to widespread generative tools and rogue creators. Industry estimates suggest over 5,000 face-swap tools and more than 1,000 voice-cloning applications are accessible online.
pi-labs offers pi-authentify, an AI-driven detection system that scans media for generative markers and provides authenticity scores, as well as Namokavach, a verification portal delivering confidential assessments within two working days. The Payal gaming case was resolved using pi-authentify’s forensic analysis.
The report urges minimising digital footprints and adopting detection tools to limit replication risks. It frames the gendered impact of synthetic media as an urgent digital safety issue requiring coordinated action from individuals, platforms and technology providers.
In a world where faces can be borrowed in seconds, the real crime isn’t just creation, it’s the silence that follows, and women are paying the heaviest price.
