MAM
ITC’s Mangaldeep ropes in Odiya superstar Babushaan Mohanty as new brand ambassador
NEW DELHI: Mangaldeep, ITC’s Agarbatti brand has roped in Odia superstar Babushaan Mohanty for its agarbatti offering – the ‘Mangaldeep – Jagannath Temple’ agarbattis. This divine agarbatti is created by rural women of Odisha under the aegis of ORMAS (Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society) and was launched by the chief minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, during last year’s Rath Yatra festival.
The Rath Yatra this year, will be seeing Babushaan endorse the Mangaldeep – Jagannath Temple agarbatti brand. The Superstar of Odia movies with a career spanning more than a decade, has given multiple hits and earned many awards. Babushaan, also a trained classical singer, will be endorsing the very special offering by Mangaldeep, dedicated to the people of Odisha.
The ‘Mangaldeep – Jagannath Temple’ agarbatti pack is the most divine agarbatti specially crafted for Lord Jagannath’s devotees. The agarbatti offers innovative dual-fragrance sticks, with two differently coloured parts and are made with fragrances of items believed to be Lord Jagannath’s favourite (Tulsi, Neem, Chandan and Kasturi). The agarbattis are made by the rural women of Odisha under the aegis of ORMAS (Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society), government of Odisha. The launch pack also has the approval from the Temple administration of Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri as a mark of credibility. For every pack sold by ITC, the company will donate a dedicated amount mentioned on the pack to the Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri on behalf of the devotees.
These four pillars make the agarbatti a divine offering, that will help the devotees recreate the aura of the Jagannath Temple at home and make their daily puja a special experience.
Speaking about the association, ITC’s Agarbatti Business chief executive Ravi Rayavaram said “Babushaan will be endorsing the most divine agarbatti offering specially crafted for Lord Jagannath’s devotees called ‘Mangaldeep – Jagannath Temple’ agarbatti. We are happy that more local hands are joining for Mangaldeep’s mission of bringing home the divinity of Jagannath Puri temple. We are also very grateful of ORMAS and Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri who hailed the baton with us last year to launch this divine product for lacs of Lord Jagannath’s devotees. Babushaan, a devotee of Lord Jagannath and one of the most loved person in Odisha was a perfect fit for the brand to take this mission to every house in Odisha.”
Babushaan Mohanty, said “It is a great pleasure to be associated with ITC’s Mangaldeep brand and that too for a divine product made for the people of Orissa. Mangaldeep Temple’s brand mission is to help consumers experience the divinity of the temple in their homes. I am excited to be a part of this mission. I am also excited that the agarbatti provides a source of livelihood to many rural women of Odisha. ITC, ORMAS and the Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri have come together and I am happy to be associated with this unique initiative.
On the cusp of this year’s auspicious Rath Yatra festival, Mangaldeep will be airing a special TV program with the celebrity on TV during Rath Yatra. Babushaan will be coming to everyone’s home through TV with interesting stories about Lord Jagannath and the temple, along with views from the experts.
MAM
ASCI study uncovers how Gen Alpha navigates ads in endless digital feeds
‘What the Sigma?’ ethnographic report maps blurred boundaries between content and commerce for 7–15-year-olds.
MUMBAI: Gen Alpha isn’t scrolling through the internet, they’re living rent-free inside its never-ending dopamine drip, and the ads have already moved in next door. The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) Academy, partnering with Futurebrands Consulting, has published ‘What the Sigma?’, an immersive ethnographic study that maps how Indian children aged 7–15 (Generation Alpha) consume, interpret and live alongside media and commercial messaging in a hyper-digital environment.
The research draws on in-home interviews, sibling and peer conversations, and discussions with parents, teachers, counsellors, psychologists, marketers and kidfluencers across six cities. It examines not only what children watch but how algorithms, content creators, peers and parents shape their relationship with the constant stream of shorts, vlogs, gameplay, memes, sponsored posts and ‘kid-ified’ adult material.
Five core themes emerged:
- Discontinuous Generation, Gen Alpha is not growing up alongside the internet, they are growing up inside it. Cultural references, humour, aesthetics and language sync globally in real time, often leaving adults functionally illiterate in their children’s world. A reference that lands instantly for a 10-year-old in Mumbai or Visakhapatnam feels opaque or disjointed to most parents.
- Authority Vacuum, Parents and teachers frequently lose cultural fluency in digital spaces. The algorithm responsive, inexhaustible and perfectly attuned to preferences becomes the most attentive presence in many children’s daily lives. Rules around screen time feel increasingly difficult to enforce when adults cannot fully see or understand the content landscape.
- Digital as Society, Online and offline no longer exist as separate realms, they form one continuous reality. The phone is not a tool children pick up; it is the primary social environment they inhabit.
- Great Media Mukbang, Content flows as an ambient, boundary-less, multi-sensorial stream. Entertainment, advertising, commerce, gameplay, memes and vlogs merge into one undifferentiated feed. The line between active choice and passive absorption has largely collapsed.
- Blurred Ad Recognition, Children aged 7–12 typically recognise only the most overt advertising formats. Influencer promotions, gaming integrations and vlog sponsorships often register as organic entertainment. Children aged 13–15 show greater ad literacy but remain highly susceptible to narrative-integrated, passion-driven and emotionally resonant brand messaging. Discernment remains low across the board in a non-stop stream.
ASCI CEO and secretary general Manisha Kapoor said, “ASCI Academy’s study is an investigation into the content life of Generation Alpha not to judge them but to understand them. Their cultural reference points seem disjointed from those of earlier generations. Insights on how they perceive advertising is the first step towards building more responsible engagement frameworks, given that they are the youngest media consumers in our country right now.”
Futurebrands Consulting founder and director Santosh Desai added, “While earlier generations have been exposed to digital media, for this generation it is the world they inhabit. This report explores not only what they watch but how they are being shaped by algorithms, content and advertising.”
The study proposes four adaptive, principles-led pathways:
- Universal signposting of commercial intent using design principles that make advertising recognisable even to young audiences.
- Ecosystem-wide responsibility shared among advertisers, platforms, creators, schools and parents.
- Future-ready safeguards built directly into children’s content experiences rather than as optional background settings.
- Formal media and advertising literacy embedded in school curricula to teach age-appropriate understanding of persuasion and commercial intent.
In a feed that never pauses, Gen Alpha isn’t merely watching content, they’re swimming in an ocean where entertainment, commerce and identity swirl together. The real question isn’t whether they can spot an ad; it’s whether the adults building the ocean can agree on where the lifeguards should stand.
