MAM
Leo Burnett promotes Ajeeta Bharadwaj as Planning Head for Mumbai
MUMBAI: Leo Burnett India has boosted its senior team and strategy offering by promoting Ajeeta Bharadwaj to the role of Planning Head in Mumbai.
Bharadwaj, who was previously Executive Planning Director, will report to, Leo Burnett Chief Strategy Officer – South Asia Dheeraj Sinha.
Confirming the development, Sinha said, “Bharadwaj has been one of the strongest pillars of strategy at Leo Burnett India. She has made an unparelled contribution in shaping the future of several brands that we work on. Bharadwaj is fully steeped into our HumanKind philosophy and is an astute practitioner of the HumanKind tools. She has also led and developed several knowledge and insight projects over the years. Not only is this promotion very well deserved, it also comes at an opportune time, when we are building a huge momentum around our strategy function. With Bharadwaj as the leader in Mumbai, we will continue to up the temperature on sharp insights, leading to great work for our clients.”
Bharadwaj added on her new role saying, “It has been an amazing journey at Leo Burnett. I have had the good fortune to work on some incredible brands and with some incredible partners, both among clients and within the agency. And I truly believe that the best is yet to come. We are doing some fantastic work and each piece is making us hungrier for more and better. In my new role, I’m looking forward to working closely with Dheeraj in producing new-age work that would help us in our constant endeavour to reach for the stars.”
Bharadwaj has 15 years of experience in brand planning and strategy. Brands she has worked on include HDFC Life, P&G, Tata Sampann, Emami, Star Plus, Heinz, Coke, Sony Entertainment Television, CavinKare, Anchor, AXN, Sony Pix, Godrej, Qi Spine Clinic and Fiat.
She and her team have also received 12 LeoIntel stars for innovative category and culture thinking across the Leo Burnett WW network.
Brands
DeVANS sparks buzz with self-chilling beer can April Fools campaign
Godfather stunt racks up 7 million impressions, blending humour with hype
NEW DELHI: DeVANS Modern Breweries has stirred up the marketing pot with a playful yet high-impact campaign teasing a futuristic “self-chilling beer can” under its flagship Godfather label.
What began as a seemingly bold product innovation quickly turned into one of the most talked-about brand moments online, before being revealed as an April Fools’ Day prank. The reveal, however, did little to cool the buzz.
The campaign clocked over 7 million organic impressions across platforms including LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X, with users debating whether the concept was a genuine breakthrough or clever marketing theatre. Thousands of shares and comments turned the idea into a full-blown conversation, drawing in both consumers and industry insiders.
The hook was simple but effective. A self-chilling can positioned as an on-the-go convenience product tapped into the imagination of younger, urban audiences. Add the timing around April Fools’ Day, and the campaign struck the perfect balance between curiosity and scepticism, keeping audiences guessing.
Marketing experts have pointed to the campaign as a case study in leveraging cultural moments. By leaving just enough ambiguity, the brand invited audiences to participate rather than simply observe, turning passive viewers into active contributors to the narrative.
“Godfather has always been an iconic brand, but iconicity must evolve to stay meaningful,” said DeVANS Modern Breweries chairman and managing director Prem Dewan. “The ‘Self-Chilling Can’ was our way of showing up in a cultural moment with confidence and a sense of humour.”
Beyond the numbers, the campaign signals a broader repositioning for Godfather. Long seen as a legacy beer brand, it is now leaning into youth culture, digital-first storytelling and topical engagement to stay relevant in a crowded alcobev market.
In a space where attention is fleeting, DeVANS has shown that sometimes the coolest idea is the one that keeps people guessing.
