AD Agencies
JBL appoints Makani Creatives as its ad agency
MUMBAI: JBL, one of the leading American audio electronics company currently owned by Harman International, has roped in Makani Creatives as its advertising agency. This development comes close after the decision on deployment of major funds to step up marketing activities and ramp up technology.
JBL has already launched a strong campaign with celebrities Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra in order to target the youth and engage the users by launching a music video called ‘Just Be Loud’ created by Kookie Gulati from SOBO films.
Makani Creatives will now roll out campaigns in sync with the brand thought process – ‘Just Be Loud’. The agency has a repertoire of youth, fashion and retail brands which makes it the natural choice to partner with JBL.
JBL director Sahil Sani said, “JBL has been a key force in developing independent divisions for audio equipment for consumer home market and professional equipment for studio, installed sounds, tour sound, portable sound (production and DJ) and cinema markets. Over the last few years, we have managed to make our presence felt in most sound and audio sectors.”
“Our key focus now, is to increase the reach and awareness, and build on our strength as a preferred choice for end-consumers. In order to meet this objective, we are thrilled to partner with Makani Creatives as our brand agency. With them on board, we are now gearing up for the new brand identity – ‘Just Be Loud’ and innovative marketing campaigns in the near future. We chose Makani Creatives for their clear understanding of our brand, proven record for delivering some of the most successful ad campaigns and focus on delivering business results,” he further added.
Makani Creatives MD Sameer Makani said, ‘‘JBL is a young and dynamic brand which has revolutionised the audio category, that being of head phones, headsets and bluetooth speakers. We were very charged by this proposition and that lead to a fine campaign we presented to JBL. In fact, they were quite impressed and that’s how we bagged their luxury division, Harman Kardon as well. The first set of work for JBL will be out shortly and I am sure that this will be one of the first steps of a successful journey together, we intend to take with this brand.”
AD Agencies
AdTrust Summit 2026 to examine trust, AI and Gen Alpha in advertising
Two-day summit in Mumbai to explore ethics, regulation and the future of advertising trust
MUMBAI: At a time when advertising is navigating a delicate trust deficit, the Advertising Standards Council of India is preparing to bring the industry to the table. On 17 and 18 March, the body will host the inaugural AdTrust Summit 2026 in Mumbai, a two-day gathering designed to spark conversation around responsibility, regulation and credibility in modern advertising.
The summit, to be held at the Jio World Convention Centre in Bandra Kurla Complex, will bring together leaders from advertising, media, technology and policy to examine how brands can build trust in a marketplace increasingly shaped by algorithms, influencers and artificial intelligence.
In an age of deepfakes, dark patterns and blurred lines between content and commerce, the question is no longer just how brands capture attention, but whether audiences believe what they see. The AdTrust Summit aims to unpack that challenge.
Day one will turn its attention to the youngest digital natives. Titled Decoding Gen Alpha, the session will unveil ‘What the Sigma?’, a study by ASCI and Futurebrands Consulting that explores how children growing up in a hyper-digital environment encounter advertising and commercial messaging.
The report presentation will be delivered by Santosh Desai, founder and director at Think9 Consumer Technologies and a social commentator known for his insights into consumer behaviour. The discussion that follows will attempt to decode how Gen Alpha consumes media, interacts with brands and navigates the growing overlap between entertainment and marketing.
In a move that mirrors the subject itself, two Gen Alpha students will also join the conversation, offering a rare perspective from the generation advertisers are trying to understand.
The second panel of the day will shift the focus from observation to implication, asking what the report’s findings mean for brands, agencies and society. Speakers include Karthik Srinivasan, communications strategy consultant; Preeti Vyas, president at Mythik; and Abigail Dias, associate president planning at Ogilvy. The session will be moderated by Sonali Krishna, editor at ET Brand Equity.
Day two moves from insight to regulation. Under the theme From Compliance to Trust, ASCI will release its Ad Law Compendium, a comprehensive guide to India’s advertising regulations.
The day will open with a keynote by Sudhanshu Vats, chairman at ASCI and managing director at Pidilite Industries, followed by a chief guest address by Sanjay Jaju, secretary at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Legal experts from Khaitan & Co., including Haigreve Khaitan, senior partner, and Tanu Banerjee, partner, will present an overview of the current advertising law landscape in India and examine whether existing frameworks are equipped to deal with emerging technologies and formats.
Subsequent panels will explore issues increasingly shaping the industry’s ethical compass. Conversations will range from the limits of persuasive design and the rise of dark patterns, to the growing scrutiny brands face from digital creators and consumer watchdogs.
One session will also feature Revant Himatsingka, widely known online as the Food Pharmer, whose critiques of packaged food brands have sparked debate around transparency and corporate accountability.
Later discussions will turn toward media literacy among Gen Alpha, asking how children can be equipped to navigate a digital world where gaming, content and commerce are becoming indistinguishable.
The summit will conclude with a final panel on the future of advertising, bringing together voices from agencies, legal circles and technology platforms to discuss how innovation, intelligence and integrity can coexist.
For an industry built on persuasion, trust has always been its quiet currency. But as audiences grow more sceptical and digital ecosystems more complex, that currency is under pressure.
Events like the AdTrust Summit suggest the advertising world knows it cannot afford to take credibility for granted. The real challenge now is turning conversation into commitment.
