MAM
Madison Media Group elevates Vinay Hegde as chief buying officer
MUMBAI: Madison Media has announced the promotion of Vinay Hegde as chief buying officer. He will report to Amol Dighe, CEO, Madison Media Ultra and head of investments. Madison Media’s buying teams across offices will now report to Hegde. Hegde takes over from Neelkamal Sharma, who has decided to pursue opportunities outside Madison Media.
Hegde has been with Madison Media for three years as senior VP buying and is a part of Madison’s central buying team since 2016, and worked across agency’s clients. Hegde has over 25 years of experience, having worked at Mindshare Fulcrum for over 10 years, where he handled buying for the Unilever business. He has also worked with Disney as director, revenue strategy, in addition to having worked at Starcom, HTA and Percept.
Madison Media & OOH Group CEO Vikram Sakhuja says, “I am delighted to have Vinay head our buying. He brings analytic and strategic strength to our buying function, and is ideally suited to discover new buying and trading models in this highly dynamic media environment. I would also like to thank Neel for his contribution to Madison over the years.”
Commenting on this development, Dighe says, "I am confident that Vinay will enhance and strengthen Madison’s buying and deliver more value to clients through his strong negotiation skills and market Madison Media Group is a part of Madison World which also has specialist units in advertising, business analytics, out-of-home, PR, mobile, retail, sports and entertainment; employing over 1,000 communication professionals across India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Bangladesh. He has an excellent rapport with Media Partners and his understanding of the Indian television environment is second to none. Always goes for a win-win.”
Madison Media has had a great run this awards season having won, Marketing Team of the Year for Asian Paints, at Indian Marketing Awards; Agency of the Year at Digies Digital Awards; Brand of the Year for Viacom 18 at DMA Echo Asia Awards; Mobile Agency of the Year at IDMA Digital Awards; in addition to winning over 150 awards since January 2019.
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.
