Brands
McDonald’s serves up a smash with Padel tie-up
MUMBAI: McDonald’s India (West & South), operated by Westlife Foodworld, is swapping fries for forehands with a new partnership that aims to fuel India’s next sporting wave, Padel.
In collaboration with the Indian Padel Academy (IPA), McDonald’s is stepping off the menu and onto the court to boost infrastructure, coaching, and tournaments for one of the world’s fastest-growing sports.
Known for its mix of teamwork, agility, and accessibility, padel is fast finding its footing in India. This initiative marks McDonald’s next big serve in community development, extending its global tradition of supporting sports, from the Olympics to local playgrounds, into India’s grassroots scene.
“At McDonald’s India, we’ve always believed in bringing people together through shared experiences. Sport is a natural extension of that belief,” said Westlife Foodworld CEO Akshay Jatia. “Through this partnership with the Indian Padel Academy, we hope to inspire young people to dream bigger, play stronger, and grow together.”
The collaboration aims to make padel facilities more accessible to children, pairing them with top coaches and nurturing values like teamwork and discipline. “India is ready for the next chapter in padel,” added Padel Park India co-founder Nikhil Sachdev. “Together with McDonald’s, we’re building a strong and inclusive community that gives young players the chance to go global.”
Serving more than just meals, McDonald’s India continues to deliver on its promise of community and connection, this time, one rally at a time.
Brands
Thermocool rolls out Navratri campaign on trains and stations
Nine day digital push blends devotion and storytelling for travellers
NEW DELHI: Thermocool Home Appliances has launched a high-visibility digital campaign during Navratri, turning railway stations and trains into storytelling spaces that blend culture with brand engagement.
The nine-day campaign spans key high-footfall locations including Katra, Anand Vihar, Gorakhpur, Prayagraj and Moradabad, along with the Vande Bharat Express on the Delhi-Katra route. Travellers encounter the campaign across station screens, concourses and onboard infotainment systems, making it hard to miss.
What sets the initiative apart is its narrative approach. Each day of Navratri is dedicated to one of the nine forms of Goddess Durga, with digital content explaining the significance and stories behind each day. The result is a campaign that does more than advertise, it informs and engages passengers in the middle of their journeys.
For director of sales and marketing Tanuj Gupta, the idea was to go beyond visibility. He noted that while Navratri is widely celebrated, awareness of its deeper meaning is often limited, and the campaign aims to bridge that gap in a simple and accessible way.
By tapping into high-traffic transit spaces, Thermocool is placing its message where audiences naturally gather, from busy platforms to train compartments. The repeated exposure across these touchpoints is designed to build familiarity while creating a more meaningful connection with consumers.
In a season marked by devotion and festivity, the campaign finds a clever middle ground. It turns everyday travel into a cultural moment, where storytelling travels alongside the passenger.
