MAM
Kurkure’s new ad with Juhi Chawla rides on Tulsi bahu’s success
MUMBAI: Wondering what Juhi Chawla is doing posing as Tulsi of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhie Bahu Thi in a leading newspaper today?
Here’s what. Lehar Kurkure (a Pepsi Foods brand) is attempting to target housewives through their new ads using the bubbly actor. And since the soap sagas are most popular among the housewives who are the key decision makers in matters in the family; JWT Delhi, the creative agency for Kurkure, decided to target just them by making a spoof on the popular show.
Tulsi or Juhi… does it really matter? The tag line of the ad reads – ‘Kyunki Kahaani Mein Kurkure Hona Chahiye’ and has Chawla dressed like the character of Tulsi from Star Plus’ show Kyunki…. The second line of the ad reads – ‘Now everyday watch Juhi as your favourite bahu 9 pm onwards.’
Speaking on the strategy undertaken by the agency, JWT senior creative director Sonia Bhatnagar said, “We wanted to reach out to the housewives who are the gatekeeper target audience for Kurkure because they are the ones who are hooked on to the serials on television.”
Elaborating on taking Chawla in the ad, Bhatnagar said, “We wanted to do something special with Juhi as there is something about her cheerful personality. She has an amazing sense of comic timing and is not a glam doll. Instead she is a mother and a housewife too. The ad was a great acting challenge because it needed emulating another actor on television. Hence we zeroed in on Juhi who we felt was right for the brand.”
As of now there the ads are on television and in print but JWT is planning a complete surround activity in the media for Kurkure. “Outdoor ads will be soon out in Mumbai and we are also looking at radio and cricket in the near future. The platform has been set by the print and television ads,” said Bhatnagar. The ads appeared in Mid Day in Mumbai and Hindustan Times magazine in Delhi today.
Kurkure’s tag line ‘Kha ke Mast’ (Eat and be happy) has been adopted in the new ads too as the company wants to own and adopt the word ‘masti’ in all its ads. Actor Sanjay Dutt’s movie Munna Bhai MBBS has been a rave in India and more so in Mumbai because of the Mumbai lingo that is so rampant in the movie. Kurkure cashed in on the success of the ‘bole to’ lingo and incorporated it in its ads which reads as – ‘Masti Bole to Kurkure.’
If masti (fun) and Kurkure are synonymous with each other, so are masti and Juhi… and what better than having a coup of sorts by having all three (Juhi, Kurkure and masti) packaged together.
MAM
Sleepwell unveils nationwide sleep study on World Sleep Day
79 per cent use screens before bed, 36 per cent of 18–25-year-olds sleep ≤5 hours.
MUMBAI: Sleepwell just dropped the pillow truth bomb because when India’s sleeping less and scrolling more, even the mattress wants to stage an intervention. On World Sleep Day 2026, Sleepwell released its nationwide Sleep Study, painting a stark picture of India’s escalating sleep crisis. The findings show that 79% of Indians use screens right before bed, fuelling restless nights and drowsy days. Alarmingly, 36% of young adults aged 18–25 sleep five hours or less making them the country’s most sleep-deprived group.
The study also busts the myth of “catch-up sleep”, 65% of respondents actually sleep even later on weekends, pointing to increasingly irregular patterns that spill fatigue into the working week. Mattress discomfort emerged as a frequently overlooked culprit behind late-night wake-ups and constant leak-anxiety checks.
To drive the message home, Sleepwell’s CMO Puneet Gulati appeared on Zee Business, stressing that quality sleep isn’t a luxury, it’s foundational health. He highlighted how the right mattress can transform restless nights into restorative ones.
The brand doubled down with clever late-night activations, partnering with a quick-commerce platform to serve contextual ads between 11 pm and 3 am, gently nudging bleary-eyed scrollers to consider mattress discomfort as the reason they’re still awake and pointing them to the nearest Sleepwell store. Digital influencers and creators also shared relatable stories of how poor sleep fuels impulsive late-night behaviour.
In a nation that celebrates hustle but quietly pays for it in lost rest, Sleepwell isn’t just selling mattresses, it’s selling the radical idea that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is close your eyes and actually sleep well.
