MAM
Maxus wins GE Money and SBI Cards media businesses
MUMBAI: Group M’s Maxus has won the SBI Cards and the combined GE Money (GE Money, GE Money Housing Finance, GE Countrywide, Maruti Countrywide) accounts.
Maxus won the account in a multi agency pitch involving incumbent MediaCom and five other agencies. The total size of the business is estimated to be Rs 250 million.
SBI Cards is a joint venture between GE Capital Services, one of the largest issuer of private label credit cards and State Bank of India, the largest bank in India.
SBI Cards leverages the brand equity, customer relationship and the unparalleled network of SBI and the technological processes and service capabilities of GE Capital to offer products that are value for money.
GE Money is one of the leading providers of financial services to consumers and retailers in India, offering a range of innovative financial products. It is a leader in a wide range of products including car finance, two wheeler finance, consumer durable finance, personal loans and home equity that are currently offered under the brand name GE Countrywide.
Maxus has been on a winning spree since last year. In 2004 they won nine out 11 businesses that they had pitched for. These included key businesses like Britannia, Titan, Disney, Essar Telecom among others.
In 2005 Maxus acquired Dabur’s oral brands (Meswak, Promise and Lal Dant Manjan), AMD, and Britannia NZ Foods. Some of Maxus’ other key clients are Hero Honda, Hutch, Seagrams, VIP Industries, Ranbaxy etc.
Maxus Delhi general manager Debraj Tripathy says, “We are absolutely delighted to have both SBI Cards and GE Money as our clients and are looking forward to doing some exciting work on both the businesses.”
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.
