MAM
Humour Me names Joy Mohanty its chief operating officer
Mumbai: Entertainment creative agency Humour Me has announced the appointment of Joy Mohanty as its chief operating officer. He will be leading the overall creative function of the agency ahead of the firm’s expansion plans.
He will be based in New Delhi and spearhead the expansion of the new media creative shop, the agency said in a statement.
In a career spanning three decades in advertising, Mohanty has worked with agencies like Publicis Capital, Lowe Lintas, FCB Ulka, Bates Clarion, Leo Burnett, and Contract. He has won numerous local and international awards, including the One Show, D&AD, New York Festivals, and Goafest.
“With Joy coming on board, we want to send a signal to all our brand partners and the marketing/ advertising ecosystem that we’re here to offer up our brand of creative audacity to the world now,” said Humour Me founder Dhruv Sachdeva. “Our plan is to build and invest in one of the most differentiated creative teams, unlike what one might find in a traditional agency set-up.”
“We are also excited about cementing a new teaching model within Humour Me, wherein we aim to give our creative talent the edge they need by up-skilling them to serve the attention needs of today. The Donald Draper days of advertising are dead, the new creative person needs to be a Twitter ninja, an Instagram poet, plus an independent creator themselves. Humour Me is more a collective of creators wanting to serve the attention economy of today, than an agency,” Sachdeva said.
“Humour Me is a company created for the post-internet world, one in which marketing, creativity, and tech have coalesced,” said Joy Mohanty. “Today, consumers and culture are always in beta, and so should brands and ideas be forever ready to read the signals and rewire. In this landscape, Dhruv and his team have built something unique, with an enviable list of like-minded clients. I am thrilled to be here, to add my energy to the success of Humour Me.”
Brands
DeVANS sparks buzz with self-chilling beer can April Fools campaign
Godfather stunt racks up 7 million impressions, blending humour with hype
NEW DELHI: DeVANS Modern Breweries has stirred up the marketing pot with a playful yet high-impact campaign teasing a futuristic “self-chilling beer can” under its flagship Godfather label.
What began as a seemingly bold product innovation quickly turned into one of the most talked-about brand moments online, before being revealed as an April Fools’ Day prank. The reveal, however, did little to cool the buzz.
The campaign clocked over 7 million organic impressions across platforms including LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X, with users debating whether the concept was a genuine breakthrough or clever marketing theatre. Thousands of shares and comments turned the idea into a full-blown conversation, drawing in both consumers and industry insiders.
The hook was simple but effective. A self-chilling can positioned as an on-the-go convenience product tapped into the imagination of younger, urban audiences. Add the timing around April Fools’ Day, and the campaign struck the perfect balance between curiosity and scepticism, keeping audiences guessing.
Marketing experts have pointed to the campaign as a case study in leveraging cultural moments. By leaving just enough ambiguity, the brand invited audiences to participate rather than simply observe, turning passive viewers into active contributors to the narrative.
“Godfather has always been an iconic brand, but iconicity must evolve to stay meaningful,” said DeVANS Modern Breweries chairman and managing director Prem Dewan. “The ‘Self-Chilling Can’ was our way of showing up in a cultural moment with confidence and a sense of humour.”
Beyond the numbers, the campaign signals a broader repositioning for Godfather. Long seen as a legacy beer brand, it is now leaning into youth culture, digital-first storytelling and topical engagement to stay relevant in a crowded alcobev market.
In a space where attention is fleeting, DeVANS has shown that sometimes the coolest idea is the one that keeps people guessing.
