MAM
Leo Burnett wins PepsiCo India’s creative mandate
Mumbai: PepsiCo India has selected Publicis Groupe agency Leo Burnett India as its creative partner to drive long-term growth and momentum across its foods and beverages portfolio.
As part of the partnership, Leo Burnett will be responsible for the company’s creative and digital mandate across all brands in the country. The account has been won after an intense multi- agency pitch.
Speaking about the appointment, PepsiCo India senior vice president George Kovoor said, “At PepsiCo India, our aim is to create innovative and purposeful consumer campaigns that help us engage effectively with our consumers. With an intent to further accelerate our marketing efforts, we are delighted to welcome Leo Burnett as our new creative agency. Their strategic thinking along with robust creative & marketing capabilities make them the right partners for our next phase of growth.”
Leo Burnett CEO, South Asia & chairman BBH India Dheeraj Sinha said, “We are overwhelmed with the trust posed in us by PepsiCo India in aligning their portfolio with us. PepsiCo’s business in India is witnessing a tremendous growth journey and we are looking forward to being their partners in accelerating this momentum. The mandate offers us a wonderful opportunity to further create groundbreaking work, and integrate culture, creativity, data and technology in campaigns, going forward.”
MAM
Banijay eyes live events as major growth driver beyond TV
IP like ‘Black Mirror’ set for immersive experiences in 2026, gaming division powers profitability.
MUMBAI: Banijay is turning screens into stages because when your IP is this golden, even the live crowd wants an encore. Banijay, the French entertainment group, on Thursday flagged live events and franchise extensions as key growth engines for 2026 and beyond, ahead of its planned merger with All3Media. CEO François Riahi told reporters that the company’s strongest content IP is increasingly generating value off-screen, pointing to the upcoming immersive live experiences based on ‘Black Mirror’ in 2026 as a prime example.
“We have a gold mine that we’re not fully exploiting,” Riahi said. He cited the intense bidding war between Paramount and Netflix for Warner’s portfolio as proof of how fundamental IP has become in today’s entertainment landscape. “That gives you an idea of how essential IP is today,” he added.
On the financial front, Banijay’s production consolidated revenue edged up 0.4 per cent excluding currency effects to €3.29 billion in 2025. Its online betting division led by Betclic and bolstered by the recent Tipico acquisition grew 10.2 per cent to €1.59 billion, accounting for roughly one-third of group revenue but nearly half of profitability. Combined EBITDA rose 8.6 per cent to €961 million.
Riahi said the gaming division is poised to benefit in 2026 from major sporting events including the soccer World Cup, with focus on customer acquisition across Betclic and Tipico.
Banijay will provide detailed mid-term financial guidance, incorporating recent acquisitions, during its strategic update on 26 March 2026.
In an industry where stories no longer end at the credits, Banijay isn’t just producing content, it’s turning franchises into full-spectrum entertainment empires, one live experience and one bet at a time.
