MAM
Hungama’s Heftyverse teams up with Van Heusen for virtual fashion exploration
Mumbai: Heftyverse, an innovative Metaverse initiative by Hungama Digital Media, joins hands with Van Heusen, a fashion powerhouse brand for men and women from Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd to redefine the online shopping experience by leveraging the power of 3D worlds. Through this ground-breaking collaboration, Heftyverse offers users a one-of-its-kind fusion of entertainment and fashion.
Hungama and Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd are set to kick off this collaboration by introducing Van Heusen to the platform, infusing personal expression and variety in virtual fashion. At the heart of Heftyverse’s offerings is Avatar Customization, which allows users to personalize their avatars with outfits and styles from Van Heusen.
This unique collaboration will not only help users style their Avatars but will also allow users to share their stylized looks on social media. Users will also be able to buy the Van Heusen styles offered on Hevtyverse in real life on Van Heusen’s brand website, effortlessly transitioning between the virtual world to the physical. This purposeful move aims to drive platform adoption, enhance user engagement, and encourage e-commerce transactions. Beyond spotlighting a renowned brand and integrating diverse styles, this collaboration also marks a significant milestone in Heftyverse’s evolution, redefining virtual fashion and promising users an unparalleled online shopping experience. The platform Heftyverse has been developed in partnership with Ink In Caps.
Expressing his excitement on the launch, Hungama Digital Media founder and MD Neeraj Roy said, “Teaming up with Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited for this exciting initiative marks a significant milestone for Heftyverse and Hungama Digital Entertainment. This collaborative effort propels us into the immersive world of the Metaverse, where digital fashion and captivating experiences seamlessly merge. Our objective is to redefine the landscape of online shopping by offering users an electrifying fusion of entertainment and fashion within Heftyverse. This launch is a testament to our relentless drive to break barriers and nurture innovation, ensuring our users are always at the forefront of the dynamic digital space.”
Van Heusen COO Abhay Bahugune said, “We are pleased to collaborate with Hungama’s Heftyverse, a partnership that further strengthens our brand’s commitment to innovation. With this initiative, we aim to elevate the intersection of fashion and digital entertainment, creating a synergy that resonates with the dynamic lifestyles of our discerning new-age consumers.”
Ink In Caps director Manish Kakkar “We are excited about this innovative venture. Through our partnership, we aim to seamlessly elevate the online shopping experience by integrating immersive technology. This collaboration reflects our commitment to pushing boundaries and delivering cutting-edge solutions to enhance user engagement and satisfaction. We look forward to continuing our successful partnership and delivering exceptional results together.”
Heftyverse is now available on browsers laptops and mobile devices and is poised to revolutionise the online shopping landscape within the metaverse. Follow the link to know more-
ttps://world.heftyverse.xyz/login
AD Agencies
Abhay Duggal joins JioStar as director of Hindi GEC ad sales
The streaming giant brings in a seasoned revenue hand as the battle for Hindi television advertising heats up
MUMBAI: Abhay Duggal has a new desk, and JioStar has a new weapon. The media and entertainment veteran has joined JioStar as director of entertainment ad sales for Hindi general entertainment channels, adding 17 years of hard-won revenue experience to one of India’s most powerful broadcasting operations.
Duggal is no stranger to big portfolios or bruising markets. Before joining JioStar, he spent a brief stint at Republic World as deputy general manager and north regional head for ad sales. Before that, he put in three years at Enterr10 Television, where he ran the north region for Dangal TV and Dangal 2, two of India’s leading free-to-air Hindi channels. The north alone accounted for more than 50 per cent of total channel revenue on his watch, a number that tends to get attention in any sales meeting.
His longest stint was at Zee Entertainment Enterprises, where he spent over six years rising to associate director of sales. There he commanded the Hindi movies cluster across seven channels, owned more than half of north India’s revenue across flagship properties including Zee TV and &TV, and closed marquee sponsorships across the Indian Premier League, Zee Rishtey Awards and Dance India Dance. He also handled monetisation for the English movies and entertainment cluster and the global news channel WION, a portfolio that would stretch most sales teams twice his size.
Earlier in his career Duggal closed what was then a Rs 3 crore single deal at Reliance Broadcast Network, one of the largest in Indian radio at the time, before that he helped launch and monetise JAINHITS, India’s first HITS-based cable and satellite platform.
His edge, by his own account, lies in marrying data and instinct: translating audience trends, inventory signals and client demands into long-term partnerships built on cost-per-rating-point discipline rather than short-term deal chasing. In a media landscape being reshaped by streaming, fragmented attention and AI-driven advertising, that kind of rigour is increasingly rare and increasingly valuable.
JioStar, which blends the scale of Reliance’s Jio platform with the content firepower of Star, is doubling down on its advertising business at precisely the moment the Hindi GEC market is getting more competitive. Bringing in someone who has spent nearly two decades doing exactly this, across some of India’s most watched channels, is a pointed statement of intent. Duggal has spent his career turning audiences into revenue. JioStar is clearly betting he can do it again, and bigger.
