MAM
Mortal joins Smriti Mandhana in Royal Challenge’s new bold campaign
MUMBAI: If confidence had a catchphrase, this one would shout it from the rooftops. In a telling sign of how India’s idea of ambition is being rewritten, esports icon Naman Mathur, better known as Mortal, has stepped into the mainstream spotlight alongside cricketer Smriti Mandhana, youth icon Rannvijay Singha and rapper Srushti Tawde for Royal Challenge Packaged Drinking Water’s latest campaign, Main Nahi Toh Kaun Be.
The campaign is less about applause and more about agency. Built around Srushti Tawde’s punchy anthem of the same name, it nudges the narrative away from inherited expectations and social approval towards a more personal question: if you don’t back yourself, who will? The film positions boldness not as rebellion, but as resolve.
Mortal’s presence marks a watershed moment for Indian esports. As co founder of S8UL Esports and one of the country’s most respected gaming creators, his journey from mobile gaming to representing India on global esports stages mirrors the campaign’s core idea. In 2024, he was named Esports content creator of the year at the global Esports Awards, a milestone that underlines how unconventional careers are now firmly part of India’s success story.
In the film, the four protagonists move through their own arenas. Mandhana commands the cricket field, Rannvijay leans into his trademark grit, Mortal plots strategy mid gameplay, and Srushti delivers verses that crackle with individuality. Different worlds, one common thread: belief forged through pressure, persistence and choice.
For Mortal, the line resonates beyond the screen. He describes gaming as a test of mindset as much as skill, where strategy, patience and self belief decide outcomes long before results do. In that sense, the campaign’s rallying cry becomes a reminder to trust the grind, whether the battlefield is digital, creative or sporting.
The timing is no coincidence. According to the FICCI EY Media and Entertainment Industry Report 2025, the number of brands investing in esports is expected to rise from 68 in 2024 to 75 in 2025, reflecting the sector’s growing cultural and commercial pull. Royal Challenge Packaged Drinking Water has already been active in this space, from setting up a Cricket Gaming Zone with Nodwin Gaming at Mumbai Comic Con 2025 to hosting branded game nights and collaborating with Indian gaming creators.
Speaking on the campaign Diageo India vice president for marketing and portfolio head premium and luxury Varun Koorichh said the idea builds on the brand’s broader Choose Bold journey. He noted that boldness today is no longer confined to traditional stages, but is visible wherever ambition meets pressure, from cricket pitches to esports lobbies and creator economies.
By bringing together figures from sport, music, television and gaming, Main Nahi Toh Kaun Be reflects a generation that is less interested in permission and more focused on conviction. It frames success not as a handed down script, but as something written in real time, by those willing to step up and own their moment.
In that sense, the campaign lands its message cleanly. Boldness is not about noise or notoriety. It is about showing up, backing yourself and asking the only question that matters, if not you, then who?
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.
