Brands
Manforce Condoms unveils virtual muse Myra as brand star
MUMBAI: Manforce Condoms has swiped right on artificial intelligence, unveiling its new brand ambassador, Myra Kapoor, a computer-generated beauty designed to stir conversations about desire, intimacy and everything in between.
India’s leading sexual wellness brand under Mankind Pharma has taken a bold leap into the future, introducing Myra through a sultry new television commercial. Far from a stiff avatar, the AI star radiates emotions like passion, love and temptation, aiming to make chats about fantasies feel as natural as pillow talk.
Myra’s arrival is no gimmick. Born from insights gathered at a leading management institute, she represents a paradigm shift in how brands communicate. Grapes Worldwide, the creative brains behind her, ensured Myra’s charm feels relatable and human, giving her the ability to headline campaigns that ebb and flow with seasons – starting with the monsoon.
To debut her, Manforce staged a digital face-off called ‘India’s most desirable’ with Filtercopy. The twist? Myra competed against real people and clinched victory through public votes, proof that audiences are ready to embrace AI allure.
Mankind Pharma, vice chairman and managing director, Rajeev Juneja called the move a “transformative journey” in brand storytelling, promising limitless creative possibilities. Grapes Worldwide, co-founder and global CEO, Shradha Agarwal added that Myra pushes AI beyond automation to deliver meaningful engagement.
With Myra, Manforce Condoms isn’t just selling protection. It’s selling imagination, sparking fantasies with a pixel-perfect partner who might just be too good to be true.
Brands
Domino’s Q1 profit falls 6.6 per cent, announces $1 billion buyback
Sales rise 3.4 per cent as pizza giant balances growth and shareholder returns
NEW YORK: Domino’s reported a mixed start to 2026, with first-quarter net income slipping even as global sales and store expansion held steady. The company also announced a fresh $1 billion share buyback, underlining its continued focus on shareholder returns.
Global retail sales rose 3.4 per cent on a constant-currency basis to $4.74 billion. The US remained a key growth engine, with same-store sales inching up 0.9 per cent, supported by a 1.5 per cent rise at company-owned outlets.
International markets, however, painted a more uneven picture. While Domino’s added 161 net new stores overseas during the quarter, international same-store sales declined 0.4 per cent. Overall revenues still climbed 3.5 per cent to $1.15 billion, driven by higher supply chain revenues and a 2.6 per cent increase in food basket pricing for franchisees.
On the profitability front, net income fell 6.6 per cent to $139.8 million, compared to $149.7 million a year earlier. Diluted earnings per share dropped to $4.13 from $4.33. The decline was largely attributed to a $30 million unfavourable swing in unrealised gains linked to its investment in DPC Dash Ltd.
Despite this, operational performance showed resilience. Income from operations rose 9.6 per cent to $230.4 million, supported in part by a $7.8 million pre-tax gain from the sale of a corporate aircraft.
Domino’s footprint continued to expand, with the company ending the quarter at 22,322 stores across more than 90 markets. In the US, digital orders remained dominant, accounting for over 85 per cent of retail sales in 2025.
The company also maintained its dividend payout, declaring $1.99 per share, payable on 30 June 2026. After repurchasing $75.1 million worth of stock during the quarter, the new authorisation lifts the total available for buybacks to $1.29 billion.
Domino’s chief executive officer Russell Weiner said the company’s scale and store-level economics position it well to capture further market share in 2026, even as competition intensifies.
As Domino’s leans into expansion and capital returns, the latest results show a business managing short-term pressures while keeping its long-term growth strategy firmly in play.
