Brands
Hershey’s debuts 3D CTV masthead during India–Australia ODI
MUMBAI: Hershey’s has rolled out its first-ever 3D connected TV masthead in India, marking a festive-season push tied to live cricket viewership.
The high-impact CTV activation, executed with Interactive Avenues and Frodoh, went live during India’s opening ODI against Australia, aiming to capture heightened festive and match-day consumption across connected TV households.
The immersive 3D creative transformed the CTV home screen into a premium showcase for the Hershey’s Kisses Festive Moments pack, rendered in gold tones with depth, motion and festive lighting. Anchored by the line “Unwrap bonds with Hershey’s”, the format was designed to mirror a storefront-style reveal within the viewer journey.
The campaign delivered multi-million household reach across high-viewership days, underlining the growing appeal of attention-led CTV formats for seasonal brand storytelling. By pairing a marquee cricket fixture with a masthead placement, Hershey’s sought to sharpen the festive appeal of its Kisses gifting range.
Hershey’s director of marketing Kamy Devaguptapu, said the Diwali-led campaign brought the brand’s modern gifting vision to life through an immersive 3D CTV experience, connecting with millions of households during India’s biggest celebration.
IPG director business Mohammed Tauseef Unea, said the masthead campaign achieved strong reach and engagement, meeting objectives on both performance and efficiency.
Frodoh founder and chief executive Russhabh R Thakkar, said the 3D masthead provided the right canvas to bring festive warmth to connected TV, with the India–Australia ODI creating a natural high-attention moment.
The campaign underscores how CTV is increasingly being positioned as a premium, high-impact medium for festive retail advertising in India.
Brands
From mega bills to spontaneous dates: Swiggy Dineout Valentine’s report
From mega bills to last-minute plans, India celebrated love with flair
MUMBAI: Valentine’s Day 2026 was a feast for the senses and wallets alike, according to Swiggy Dineout. India’s on-demand dining platform revealed how the nation celebrated romance with big gestures, lively nights out, and plenty of spontaneous bookings.
Metropolitan hubs continued to rule the roost with Bengaluru, Delhi, and Hyderabad seeing the most reservations. Emerging cities aren’t far behind, with Ahmedabad, Jaipur, and Chandigarh joining the party. Growth was particularly striking in Surat (up 180 per cent), Vadodara (155 per cent) and Bhubaneswar (145.5 per cent) compared with the previous Saturday.
Mumbai stole the headlines with a single customer splashing out Rs 130,155 – the highest bill in the country. The city also hosted the largest single group booking, with 30 diners coming together to celebrate in style. Most Valentine’s transactions took place between 10pm and 11pm, proving love, and hunger, strike late.
Mumbai stole the spotlight with a mega-spender whose bill made everyone else blush, while savvy diners were cashing in on discounts, including a Pune customer saving 60% and another in Bengaluru saving 50 per cent. Fine dining was on fire, with bookings up 121 per cent year-on-year, though pubs, bars, and lounges remained the crowd favourites, accounting for 30.6 per cent of all reservations. Last-minute romance was the order of the day, with 66 per cent of diners booking within two hours of heading out. Together, India saved over Rs 6 crore, proving that love can be grand, yet thrifty.
Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi led the premium dining rush, showing a growing appetite for curated, high-end experiences. Meanwhile, spontaneous bookings reinforced modern lifestyles, where convenience and instant gratification rule the day.
Whether it was big spends, huge groups, or a last-minute romantic dash, Valentine’s Day 2026 proved love and dining go hand in hand – and sometimes, they go all out.
