Brands
Nexus Select Malls recruits Ayushmann Khurrana to sell emotional decluttering this Diwali
MUMBAI: Nexus Select Malls is betting that guilt sells better than glitter. The mall operator has roped in Hindi cinema actor Ayushmann Khurrana for a Diwali campaign urging Indians to declutter their emotional baggage alongside their homes—and then head to the shops to celebrate.
The digital film, Declutter Wali Diwali, wraps a shopping pitch in feel-good messaging. “Adhure vaade, ankahee baatein, pending apologies iss Diwali, emotional space bhi declutter karo, aur apno ke liye dil mein jagah banao,” Khurrana intones against a backdrop of festive lights. Roughly translated: sort out your unfinished business, make space for loved ones, and—conveniently—do it at Nexus.
“Our idea was to go beyond traditional festive advertising and tap into what the season truly stands for: togetherness, reflection and genuine joy,” says Nexus Select Malls chief marketing officer Nishank Joshi.
The campaign’s sign-off is less subtle: “Asli Happyness sirf yahan hai, at Nexus Select Malls.”
The film will run across digital and social platforms throughout October, backed by on-ground activations at 19 malls across 15 cities. It arrives as India enters peak shopping season, with Diwali serving as the year’s biggest retail moment.
Whether consumers buy the emotional angle or just the merchandise remains to be seen. Either way, Nexus is counting on footfall—reconciled or otherwise.
Brands
Lululemon picks former Nike executive to be its next chief
Heidi O’Neill, who helped grow Nike into a $45 billion giant, will take the top job in September
CANADA: Lululemon has found its next chief executive, and she comes with serious credentials. The athleisure giant named Heidi O’Neill as its new CEO on Wednesday, ending a search that has left the company running on interim leadership since earlier this year. O’Neill will take charge on September 8, 2026, based out of Vancouver, and will join the board on the same day.
O’Neill brings more than three decades of experience across performance apparel, footwear and sport. The bulk of that time was spent at Nike, where she was a central figure in one of corporate sport’s great growth stories, helping take the company from a $9 billion business to a $45 billion global powerhouse. She oversaw product pipelines, brand strategy and consumer connections, and played a significant role in shaping how Nike spoke to athletes around the world. Earlier in her career, she worked in marketing for the Dockers brand at Levi Strauss. She also brings boardroom experience from Spotify Technology, Hyatt Hotels and Lithia and Driveway.
The board was unequivocal in its enthusiasm. “We selected Heidi because of the breadth of her experience, her demonstrated success delivering breakthrough ideas and initiatives at scale, and her ability to be a knowledgeable change and growth agent,” said Marti Morfitt, executive chair of Lululemon’s board.
O’Neill, for her part, was bullish. “Lululemon is an iconic brand with something rare: genuine guest love, a product ethos rooted in innovation, and a global platform still in the early stages of its potential,” she said. “My job will be to accelerate product breakthroughs, deepen the brand’s cultural relevance, and unlock growth in markets around the world.”
Until she arrives, Meghan Frank and André Maestrini will continue as interim co-CEOs, before returning to their previous senior leadership roles once O’Neill steps in.
Lululemon is betting that a Nike veteran who helped build one of the world’s most powerful sports brands can do something similar for an athleisure label that has genuine love from its customers but is still chasing its full global potential. O’Neill has done it before at scale. The question now is whether she can do it again.
