Brands
Mars snacking names Chinmay Kelkar as Asia media and integrated ecosystem director
Cannes-winning strategist and WPP veteran takes charge of media across key Asian markets
VIRGINIA: Mars has appointed Chinmay Kelkar as Asia media and integrated ecosystem director for its snacking division, handing a sprawling regional mandate to a planner known for mixing data rigour with creative firepower.
Kelkar moves to the role in Singapore after a rapid senior run at WPP Media and EssenceMediacom, where he handled regional clients and transformation briefs across Asia-Pacific. His remit at Mars spans media strategy and integrated ecosystem planning in some of the world’s most complex and competitive consumer markets.
A Cannes winner, Kelkar has been named among IMPACT’s top 30 future leaders of Indian advertising and was earlier singled out as a rising star on WPP’s global Team Procter & Gamble. His career has zigzagged across China, India and wider APAC, covering categories as varied as B2B, sports, telecoms, automobiles and FMCG.
Before Mars, Kelkar served briefly as svp, regional clients at WPP Media. He also spent over four years at EssenceMediacom in Singapore as head of transformation and regional business lead, focusing on capability-building and cross-market integration. Earlier roles at Mediabrands saw him spearhead the ExxonMobil business across 11 Asia-Pacific and Oceania markets, leading cross-functional teams spanning planning, buying and ad operations while chasing incremental growth.
A long China stint with MediaCom sharpened his reputation as a sales-driven strategist. As planning director on Team P&G China, he oversaw media strategy, communications planning and end-to-end e-commerce store management for grooming brands across Shanghai and Guangzhou. Campaigns under his watch delivered 66 per cent higher media-led sales for Gillette at 19 per cent lower budgets. Braun achieved sales at 238 IYA, while Gillette reached 184 IYA through offtake-led e-commerce planning and flagship-store management.
Kelkar also helped build P&G China’s first live media command centre and created what is billed as China’s first branded VR e-commerce experience for Gillette. Earlier, he drove adoption of MediaCom’s 20/20 framework aimed at delivering 20 per cent more effectiveness at 20 per cent better efficiency.
His career began in India with Lodestar Universal, where he planned telecoms and automobile campaigns for some of the country’s biggest advertisers, winning a silver Emvie for Tata Photon in 2010 and a bronze Emvie in 2011 for Tata Nano.
Kelkar describes himself as someone who enjoys “creating order out of chaos” and pushing business outcomes to the front of media thinking. He relishes pitches, product launches and the heat of competitive briefs. On weekends, he swaps dashboards for joysticks as a compulsive gamer and amateur video-game reviewer.
For Mars, the hire adds a strategist steeped in scale, performance and experimentation. For the region’s media market, it is another sign that global advertisers want leaders who can stitch together commerce, content and communications. In Asia’s high-speed attention economy, Kelkar’s brief is simple to state and hard to execute: turn complexity into advantage—and do it at scale.
Brands
KITKAT India teams up with One Piece for anime-led campaign push
On-pack characters and digital film tap into India’s fast-growing anime wave
MUMBAI: KITKAT India has joined forces with the globally popular anime One Piece, rolling out a new campaign that brings fan-favourite characters onto its packaging in a bid to connect with India’s rapidly expanding anime audience.
The collaboration sees iconic characters from the series featured on KITKAT packs, adding a playful twist to the brand’s long-standing “take a break” proposition. By blending pop culture with confectionery, the campaign aims to make everyday breaks feel a little more adventurous.
The launch is anchored by a digital-first film released across YouTube and Meta platforms, supported by a broader push spanning outdoor media and interactive social content. The multi-platform rollout reflects a clear attempt to meet younger audiences where they already spend their time.
Nestlé India head confectionery business Gopichandar Jagatheesan said, “Anime is a rapidly growing genre in India, and we are excited to collaborate with one of the most popular shows, One Piece. Having championed breaks for decades, KITKAT now takes them to the next level, making every break more epic with the world of One Piece.”
The move comes at a time when anime is shifting from niche interest to mainstream entertainment in India, with brands increasingly tapping into its cultural currency to stay relevant with younger consumers.
By pairing a globally loved anime with an equally recognisable chocolate brand, KITKAT’s latest outing signals a simple idea with strong appeal. In a crowded market, even a small break can turn into a big moment when it comes with a side of fandom.
