MAM
Maska maar ke
The Amul Butter campaign with it’s cute moppet has aroused interest since the last 36 years or so. Indiantelevision.com tried to find out what goes behind making these ads, especially the ones which target television serials and related events like the conditional access system (CAS) imbroglio.
 |
First some history. The ‘utterly butterly’ gal was born in 1966 and has been ruling in the hearts of all Indians since then. Amul ads are prominent on account of their topicality and element of pun. The ads introduced the concept of consumer humour or serious things spoken in jest in the advertising fraternity for the first time.
 |
| Consumers misery regarding viewing of pay TV channels on implementation of CAS. |
The Amul butter campaign was launched in 1966 by Advertising and Sales Promotion Company (ASP). Kurian Kurian the then Group Head at ASP was in charge of the account. The account moved to da Cunha Communications later which was founded by Sylvester da Cunha. His son, Rahul da Cunha, who was the then manager at ASP now heads da Cunha Communications and the Amul account has been with them ever since.
For over 15 years it was celebrated ad man and theatre personality Bharat Dhabolkar whose name was intrinsically tied to the Amul ads.
He’s moved on to other things a while back and today it is Rahul da Cunha along with writer Manish Jhaveri who are the creative inspirations behind these ads.
Be it topical events related to politics, television, films, celebrities, cricket, economy, environment, festivals, foreign affairs, great Indians, Internet, kids, lifestyles, music, sports, strikes or urban life – the Amul ads have covered them all.
But it is television that is under the scanner and da Cunha spoke to indiantelevision.com outlining the criteria that decide whether a particular show or event gets featured. “Only a serial or event that is very popular or very unpopular and controversial will feature on the Amul ads,” da Cunha said.
 |
The latest to feature on the Amul hoardings was Sony Entertainment Television’s curiosity ticker Jassi Jaise Koi Nahi. “The hoarding campaign that we did for Jassi… was an imitation of the serial’s hoardings which were seen all over the place. There were words like ‘jaisi’ and ‘koi nahi’ to play upon and hence came our ad which said – Amul Jaisa Koi Nahi,” says Da Cunha. On the left hand side of the Amul ‘Jassi’ hoarding it says – ‘9am-9am’, which means that Amul butter can be had all through the day, not just for breakfast but with all meals. The original Jassi hoardings have the serial’s broadcast timing on the left hand corner.
 |
| Movie folks’ resentment towards popular TV show host Shekhar Suman in June 2000. |
“We try to identify the most popular aspect of a serial in terms of a particular character, a catch line or an event that got the common man talking about it. There has to be something about it to make it stand out from the rest,” said da Cunha.
When asked about the latest ace up his sleeve, da Cunha said, “The Boom Amul hoardings are something to watch out for.” The movie Boom (starring Amitabh Bachchan and three beautiful bodies amongst others) released yesterday (19 September) and has been critically panned.
Meanwhile, viewers await the next show that will get the attention of the ‘Utterly Butterly’ gal.
Click here to view a slide show of the Amul ads
Brands
Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail reshuffles top deck; Nikhil Modha to take over as CFO
Phased transition sees Marco Agnolin head OWND!, Nikhil Modha lined up as CFO as company readies next growth leg
MUMBAI: Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail is redrawing its leadership map, lining up a new generation of executives across key roles as it prepares for its next phase of growth.
The company has named Suraj Bahirwani as chief executive (designate) of Pantaloons, effective April 1, 2026, with a full transition to the top role slated for October 1, 2026. He will also be designated as senior managerial personnel.
A two-decade veteran of the Aditya Birla Group, Bahirwani joined as a group management trainee in 2002 and has since held a string of leadership roles across retail and manufacturing. His resume spans stints at Aditya Birla Retail, a tenure as chief operating officer of Pantaloons, and most recently, head of global sales at the group’s cellulosic fibres business, where he drove international expansion and strengthened value-added portfolios.
Academically, he holds a PhD from the University of Mumbai, a postgraduate management diploma from SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, and is a chartered accountant. Over the years, he has picked up multiple chairman’s awards, including distinguished achiever, exceptional contributor and accomplished leader.
The transition at Pantaloons will be staged. Incumbent chief executive Sangeeta Tanwani will continue until September 30, 2026, steering the handover before moving into an advisory role to the managing director from October 1, 2026. She is set to retire on January 31, 2027, at which point she will step down as whole-time director and key managerial personnel.
Alongside, the company has brought in Marco Agnolin as chief executive of OWND! and senior managerial personnel, effective April 6, 2026. Agnolin arrives with over three decades of global experience, having held senior roles at Inditex, where he helped expand Zara in Italy, and later served as chief executive of Bershka and Diesel. His track record spans fast fashion, brand turnarounds and youth-focused retail.
On the finance side, Nikhil Modha has been appointed chief financial officer (designate) and senior managerial personnel from April 1, 2026. He will assume full charge as chief financial officer and key managerial personnel from January 1, 2027.
Current chief financial officer Jagdish Bajaj will oversee a phased transition until December 31, 2026, before retiring and stepping down from his roles.
The reshuffle signals a calibrated succession plan rather than a sudden overhaul, with the company staggering exits and appointments to ensure continuity even as it refreshes leadership across verticals.
As Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail juggles legacy brands and new-age formats, the message is clear: steady hands for the present, sharper ones for the future—and no pause in the push for scale.
