MAM
Hero Cycles, Cycle Agarbatti and Duracell associate with ‘PK’ for effective marketing
MUMBAI: This decade saw a number of in-film product placements as it has become the most pursued marketing strategy to gain prominence with every potential blockbuster.
Hero Cycles, Cycle Pure Agarbathies, and Duracell batteries have partnered with Rajkumar Hirani’s latest offering ‘PK’ in which these brands will be featured in a seamless manner. Go Fish Entertainment has been instrumental in getting these brands to associate with the movie.
Hero Cycles co-chairman and MD Pankaj Munjal said,” We are excited to be associated with the movie ‘PK’ which is one of the most anticipated movies this year. In the movie, Anushka Sharma’s character uses bicycles from Hero Cycles’ Miss India Jade range. The range has been especially designed to complement the taste of the new age girl and goes well with the character of Anushka in the movie. We look forward to the movie’s upcoming success and hope that our new range of cycles is equally well-received by the customers.”
Cycle Pure Agarbathies MD Arjun Ranga stated, “We take pride in being associated with the year’s most awaited chartbuster movie. With this partnership, we not only intend to build brand saliency, but also aim at connecting with the consumer at a more emotional and serious level”.
He further added, “While brands foresee entertainment as a serious platform to communicate, brand and media managers have been conscious about advertising in multiple platforms and blockbuster movies are looked upon as one of the strong platform for brand recall and reinforcing consumer trust”.
Go Fish Entertainment with more than nine years in the industry has built a strong equity in this domain, which is its forte and has been successful in getting various brands recognition and strategic presence via relevant tie ups with films. Emphasising on how subtly these brands have been affiliated with the movie script, Go Fish Entertainment director Sajay Moolankodan said, “Brand integration with Bollywood has been evolving in its courtship. The crux of this affiliation lies in identifying the right opportunity for placement of products in the movie, taking care that the products are not blatantly placed. A lot of brainstorming and research work goes into making it a perfect fit between the brand and the film. While we figured out that the integration of a prominent incense brand will match a temple worship scene in the movie, Anushka’s character in the script also seemed to be apt forthe attributes of the Miss India Jade Range of Hero Cycles.”
Producer and director, Rajkumar Hirani shared his thought about this association, “It is a pleasure to be associated with Hero cycles, Cycle Agarbathies and Duracell, as it was just the perfect fit for the scenes that we had envisaged in the film. As a result, all parties have derived value from this association without compromising on the viewing experience of the audience.”
AD Agencies
WPP appoints Hephzibah Pathak CEO of WPP Creative India
Ogilvy India chair takes charge of unified creative model in key market
NEW DELHI: WPP has appointed Hephzibah Pathak as chief executive officer of WPP Creative India, putting a local leader at the helm of its newly created creative operating model in one of its most important growth markets.
The move brings clarity to how WPP’s global restructuring will play out in India, weeks after the group unveiled WPP Creative as part of its Elevate28 strategy. The unit sits alongside WPP Media, WPP Production and WPP Enterprise Solutions, and is designed to simplify what the company previously described as an overly complex structure.
Pathak, who continues as executive chairperson of Ogilvy India, will represent all agencies under the WPP Creative umbrella in India. Her role centres on driving integration across brands, expanding capabilities and ensuring clients can tap into the network’s full talent pool without friction.
WPP said Pathak will work closely with agency brand CEOs to “enhance integration, expand capabilities, and ensure seamless client access”, while maintaining the distinct identities of its agencies.
The portfolio under WPP Creative includes leading networks such as VML, Landor, AKQA and Grey, along with Burson and its affiliated firms. Leaders across these agencies will now report into Pathak, even as each brand continues to operate independently within a unified system.
The appointment also formalises a dual-track strategy in India, preserving agency identities while accelerating collaboration. Pathak is expected to work closely with media leadership to align creative and media capabilities, reflecting growing client demand for integrated, multi-market solutions.
WPP Creative global CEO Jon Cook has described the unit as “not an agency” but an operating system that helps creative, design and PR brands work together more effectively. The group has been clear that it is not merging or phasing out legacy agency brands, instead aiming to reduce complexity on the client side.
Pathak brings nearly three decades of experience within the network, having joined in 1997 and held roles ranging from Mumbai office head to chief client officer. She made history in 2024 as the first woman to lead Ogilvy India in its 95-year presence in the country.
Her expanded mandate positions India at the centre of WPP’s Asia-Pacific strategy, with a focus on strengthening brand presence, deepening client relationships and unlocking growth in a fast-evolving market.
The appointment signals WPP’s intent to move beyond the traditional holding company model towards a more integrated, AI-enabled structure. With Pathak now steering WPP Creative India, the group appears set to test whether simpler structures can indeed deliver sharper creative outcomes.
