MAM
MEC appoints Sidhraj Shah as Head of Brand Activation
MUMBAI: MEC, a leading media agency and part of WPP, (www.mecglobal.com), today announced the appointment of Mr. Sidhraj Shah as Head of Brand Activation. His mandate is to deliver innovative consumer experiences and to expand MEC’s brand engagement and implementation services. Shah’s last assignment was at Wizcraft as Deputy General Manager. An MBA from Bombay University, he will report to T Gangadhar, Managing Director, MEC and to Dalveer Singh, Head Experiential Marketing, APAC, GroupM’s experiential marketing unit.
Speaking about the appointment, T. Gangadhar said, “We are pleased to have Sidhraj on-board. His proven track record of helming award-winning campaigns will be a definite asset to MEC and to our clients. Integrated marketing communications (IMC) is at the core of MEC and I am confident Sidhraj’s experience will further improve the quality of our product.”
With prior stints at O&M, SSC&B Lintas and Bates 141, Shah has conceived and executed ground-breaking campaigns for clients such as McDonald’s, Standard Chartered, Virgin Mobile, Siemens, MTV and MiD-Day. He has successfully executed activation programs that have become case studies within the industry – such as India’s 1st Pogo Flash Mob activation for McDonald’s, the RFID Tech innovation for Siemens Data Tracking at Elecrama (2012) to India’s largest 3D art-style façade for MCHI Exhibition (2013).
On his appointment, Sidhraj Shah said, “I am very excited with this opportunity to be working with MEC. My aim will be to continue to deliver noteworthy and unique propositions for our clients and consumers alike.”
Dalveer Singh added, “We set our sight at the highest level when looking for a new leader at MEC and I am pleased to say we have achieved our objective. We wanted a very high caliber person with a proven track record combined with fresh thinking and have the drive to do the unusual. I am personally very excited and welcome him to the family”
MAM
Lego brings Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Vinicius together
Campaign clocks 314 million views ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 buzz.
MUMBAI: Four legends, one frame and not a single tackle in sight. Lego has pulled off a crossover few thought possible, uniting Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior in a single campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 only this time, they’re building dreams brick by brick.
Titled “Everyone wants a piece”, the campaign features the quartet assembling a Lego version of the World Cup trophy, before placing miniature versions of themselves atop it, a playful nod to football’s ultimate prize. Shared widely across social media, the ad carries a pointed disclaimer: it is not AI-generated, a subtle but telling signal in an era where even reality is often questioned.
The numbers tell their own story. The campaign has already crossed 314 million views on Instagram across the players’ accounts, with fans hailing it as a rare, almost nostalgic moment particularly for the reunion of Messi and Ronaldo, whose last shared campaign ahead of the 2022 World Cup became one of the platform’s most-liked posts.
Beyond the film, Lego is extending the play with exclusive, player-themed sets tied to each of the four stars, part of a broader football-led programme designed to ride the global momentum building towards 2026. The idea, as echoed by the players themselves, leans into the parallels between football and play experimentation, creativity, failure, and triumph.
Messi described the sets as a way to bring on-pitch moments into an imaginative, hands-on world, while Ronaldo called the transformation into a Lego figure a rare honour, blending sport with storytelling. Vinícius, meanwhile, struck a more personal note, recalling childhood moments of building with Lego and framing creativity as a universal language that transcends borders.
The timing is no accident. With the 2026 World Cup set to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and featuring an expanded 48-team format, global anticipation is already building. Argentina, led by Messi, will enter as defending champions, adding another layer of intrigue.
For Lego, the campaign does more than celebrate football, it taps into its mythology. Because when icons become figurines and rivalries turn into play, the beautiful game finds a new kind of pitch. one built, quite literally, by hand.
