MAM
Love Runs Deep: Instagram’s new campaign aimed at marketers
KOLKATA: Instagram on Thursday launched a new campaign called Love Runs Deep which will provide a unique marketing platform to businesses, with a little help from its throng of influencers.
The Facebook-owned platform has been at the core of influencer marketing as new age creators have found a home for their creativity on the platform. Jumping on the bandwagon, brands are also heavily investing in influencers to boost their digital reach. Love Runs Deep seeks to redefine the way brands can authentically tell their stories while engaging with influencers.
A diverse set of creators and influencers – Masaba and Neena Gupta, chef Ranveer Brar, vlogger Kusha Kapila, cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur, Savi and Vid from Bruised Passports and Sakshi Sindwani from @stylemeupwithsakshi are involved in this project.
In a statement, Instagram said this is the social media platform’s first campaign in India which is aimed solely at marketers and advertisers.
As part of the campaign, brands are invited to submit their briefs in the ‘Love Runs Deep challenge’, and five of them will be chosen to have exclusive access to 25 creators to work with them free of cost. In addition, they will be eligible for $25,000 worth of ad credits to run their campaigns. The brands can be from all over India and can be big or small businesses.
The campaign began on 8 November and entries close on 13 November. Brands can submit their briefs on the campaign website. The campaign will continue for a duration of four months and will be promoted through print and digital media, as well as on the Facebook family of apps. The jury making the selection will include experts not only from Facebook but from big brands and top agencies.
Facebook India global marketing solutions director and head Sandeep Bhushan, said that through Instagram, they want to spur the interaction between creators and brands in a way that redefines the ecosystem, and allows stories to be told with greater business impact.
Speaking about Love Runs Deep, fashion designer Masaba Gupta said Instagram allowed her to build a community and she now considered it her second home. “I am because they are. And so I’ve partnered with Instagram to show that love really does run deep, far and wide.”
The campaign is set against the backdrop of the BCG-Facebook Turn The Tide report, which stated that digital influence has increased significantly in urban consumers: up to 70 per cent for mobiles, 55-60 per cent for apparel, and up to 20-25 per cent for the non-food CPG categories.
As the economy unlocks and brands look to capitalize on the resurgence in consumer demand, the timing of the campaign was opportune, said GroupM South Asia CEO Prasanth Kumar, who is also a member of the selection jury. “We believe that influencer marketing will play a vital role in telling brand stories in an effective way, something we need more of this year. Together with Instagram, we want to create effective methods for Indian brands to reach various audiences,” he added.
MAM
Barista partners Ginny Weds Sunny 2 with mango campaign
Cafe chain blends cinema buzz with summer menu and 20 per cent offer.
MUMBAI: Love may brew slowly, but marketing clearly doesn’t especially when coffee meets cinema and mangoes steal the spotlight. Barista Coffee Company has partnered with the upcoming hindi film Ginny Weds Sunny 2 as its official beverage partner, in a move aimed at tapping into youth culture through entertainment-led engagement. The collaboration is not just a logo placement exercise. Instead, Barista is translating the film’s high-energy vibe into its cafés with a themed summer menu titled “Main Hoon Mango”, accompanied by a limited-period 20 per cent discount on combo offerings across outlets.
Actors Medha Shankr and Avinash Tiwary feature in the campaign, seen engaging with the mango-themed menu inside Barista cafés, a visual cue designed to blur the lines between reel and real-life consumption moments.
The strategy reflects a broader shift in how consumer brands are leveraging hindi film industry not just for visibility, but for immersive, on-ground engagement. By embedding the film’s narrative into its product experience, Barista is aiming to drive footfall, especially among younger audiences who increasingly seek experiential touchpoints over traditional advertising.
Barista Coffee Company CEO Rajat Agrawal described the partnership as both a branding and growth play, focused on expanding reach beyond the existing customer base and aligning with evolving consumer preferences.
The emphasis on a seasonal, flavour-led hook mango, one of India’s most culturally resonant ingredients adds a timely layer to the campaign, aligning with summer consumption trends while riding on the film’s promotional momentum.
For Barista, the move is part of a larger positioning shift. Rather than operating purely as a coffee retail chain, the brand is increasingly framing itself as a lifestyle destination, one that intersects with entertainment, conversation and shared experiences. By integrating cinema into its physical spaces, Barista is effectively turning cafés into micro-extensions of the film’s universe, where consumers do not just watch a story unfold but participate in it sip by sip.
The 20 per cent offer further nudges trial, lowering the barrier for consumers to engage with the themed menu while amplifying recall through a tangible incentive.
Brand-film collaborations are hardly new, but their execution is evolving. Where earlier partnerships relied on co-branded ads or product placements, the current playbook leans towards immersive storytelling and retail integration.
In that sense, Barista’s “Main Hoon Mango” push is less about promotion and more about participation inviting consumers to experience a slice of the film within a familiar, everyday setting. As the film industry continues to act as a cultural amplifier, such partnerships underline a growing truth, in today’s attention economy, it is not enough to be seen brands must be experienced.
And if that experience comes with a mango twist and a cinematic backdrop, all the better.
