MAM
Kapil Batra joins Lowe Lintas as president
Mumbai: Lowe Lintas, an advertising agency announced the appointment of Kapil Batra as president at its Mumbai office, effective immediately.
Kapil’s hire completes the creative leadership team at Lowe Lintas Mumbai. The aim is to take the Mumbai office to new creative heights and continue Lowe Lintas’ legacy of delivering impactful and culturally relevant work. He will report to Prateek Bhardwaj, chief creative officer (CCO), to further strengthen the agency’s creative and strategic vision.
Kapil Batra brings with him over two decades of experience in the advertising industry, with a track record of creating iconic campaigns. His prior experience includes leadership positions at Wieden + Kennedy India and McCann Erickson.
His body of work includes the much-celebrated “PayTM Karo” campaign, the endearing “Share a Coke” series, the evergreen “Mirchi Sunne Wale Always Khush (Rudaali)”, Yatra.com’s “Ehsaan mat lo, discount lo”, Happydent’s “Dikha Bateesi kar baat achhi si” campaign and the widely acclaimed “Dettol Soap Bubbles” activation. Kapil’s creative genius has been recognized at prestigious platforms including Cannes, D&AD, Clio, One Show, Spikes Asia, and Effies, among others.
Lowe Lintas chief creative officer Prateek Bhardwaj commented, “To me, Kapil embodies what Lowe Lintas has stood for over the decades – total commitment to creative excellence and a collaborative, team-first approach. His work on PayTM, Perfetti and Coca-Cola is legendary and I have no doubt that his creativity will propel and inspire the team to new creative heights. Along with Sarvesh Raikar and Madhu Noorani in Mumbai, Vasudha Misra in Delhi, and Arpan Bhattacharyya and Litna Das in Bangalore, our senior creative leadership team is complete and ready for the future.”
Kapil’s appointment comes at a time when Lowe Lintas is focused on further strengthening its creative offerings and expanding its footprint in the Indian advertising landscape. The agency is focused on crafting brands of the future, with profound ideas on every single culture, stories that will change the way brands can connect, the way they can lead, and the impact they can have on the world.
Kapil Batra, on his new role as president of Lowe Lintas, stated, “Joining Lowe Lintas as President of the Mumbai office is an incredible opportunity to be part of an agency that consistently pushes the boundaries of creativity. Lowe Lintas has a rich legacy of creating work that is not just memorable but also meaningful. I am excited to contribute to this legacy and work alongside Prateek Bhardwaj and the immensely talented team here to create campaigns that resonate with audiences and make a real difference for our clients.”
MAM
T20 WC 2026 ad volumes rise 4 per cent despite fewer brands: TAM report
Fewer brands, bigger bets: India matches and top players drive ad surge
MUMBAI: Advertising during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 may have become leaner in participation, but it certainly packed a stronger punch. A new analysis by TAM Media Research shows that ad volumes per match rose by 4 per cent compared to the 2024 edition, signalling sharper spending even as the advertiser base narrowed.
The numbers tell a tale of two trends. On one hand, the overall count of categories, advertisers and brands dropped steeply by 55 per cent, 63 per cent and nearly 68 per cent respectively versus the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. On the other, those who stayed in the game appeared to spend more aggressively, driving higher ad intensity across matches.
India’s pulling power remained unmistakable. Matches featuring the Indian team generated 66 per cent higher ad volumes than non-India games, underlining the country’s outsized influence on cricket’s commercial engine. The tournament final also saw an 18 per cent jump in advertising volumes compared to 2024, pointing to stronger monetisation at the business end of the competition.
The shift towards concentration was equally striking. The top five advertisers accounted for 39 per cent of total ad volumes, unchanged from the previous edition, but the names themselves saw a complete shake-up. OpenAI emerged as the leading advertiser with a 12 per cent share, followed by Coca-Cola India at 9 per cent and Mahindra & Mahindra at 8 per cent. Apollo Tyres and Reliance Consumer Products rounded off the top five.
A similar churn played out at the brand level, with no overlap in the top five brands between 2024 and 2026. At the same time, leading categories tightened their grip, with the top five accounting for 53 per cent of ad volumes, up from 42 per cent earlier. The cars category led the pack with a 15 per cent share, followed closely by e-commerce services at 14 per cent and aerated soft drinks at 11 per cent.
When it came to format, brevity ruled. Ads between 11 and 20 seconds dominated commercial breaks, making up over half of all spots, while shorter sub-10 second creatives followed as the next preferred choice.
The broader takeaway is clear. Even as fewer players entered the arena, those that did were willing to spend bigger and smarter. In a tournament where every over counts, advertisers seem to be playing a more focused, high-impact innings, betting on scale, timing and the enduring magnetism of cricket’s biggest stage.
