Brands
Ogilvy apologises to Malala Yousafzai
MUMBAI: Looks like Indian advertising is coming under the radar for constant controversies. This time Ogilvy & Mather India’s series of ads for Kurl On titled ‘Bounce Back’ trigged negative conversations. The ad series features Malala Yousafzai, Mahatma Gandhi and Steve Jobs.
The art work showcases a cartoon depiction of Pakistani young activist Malala being shot, and then miraculously coming back to life after a night’s rest on a Kurl On mattress. Social media was buzzing with thoughts that the ad is offensive at various levels. Considering the gravity of the situation, Ogilvy went ahead to undertake an investigation into process. There are no talks initiated for the other creatives that use Mahatma Gandhi and Steve Jobs as central characters.
The official release issued by the agency on its website stated, “We deeply regret this incident and want to personally apologise to Malala Yousafzai and her family. We are investigating how our standards were compromised in this case and will take whatever corrective action is necessary. In addition, we have launched a thorough review of our approval and oversight processes across our global network to help ensure that our standards are never compromised again.”
The agency also tweeted about the same.
It can be recalled that last year around the same time, the Ford Figo controversial posters caught the attention of the world. JWT’s Bobby Pawar and Ford India’s Sriram Padmanabhan had to take responsibility of this and had to step down.
So, who will take responsibility from Ogilvy? Any guesses?
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Brands
Devika Prabhu returns to Spni as business head for Hindi movies
Former Disney executive comes full circle to lead Sony’s Hindi movie channels
MUMBAI: Devika Prabhu has come full circle in her media career. She has been appointed business head for Hindi movies at Sony Pictures Networks India, returning to a network where she once worked earlier in her journey.
Prabhu announced the move while reflecting on how careers often loop back to familiar places. She joins Sony Pictures Networks India after nearly 18 years at The Walt Disney Company, where she held several senior leadership roles across content, marketing and business strategy.
Most recently, she served as vice president and business head for kids, youth and infotainment television at Disney India. In that role, she oversaw brands such as Disney and National Geographic, managing a Rs 400 crore business while steering content strategy, partnerships and digital expansion. Her work involved leading teams across programming, acquisitions, marketing and localisation while collaborating with global stakeholders.
Before that, she headed content, marketing and product for the kids and youth television portfolio, overseeing strategy across 10 channels spanning Disney Kids, UTV Youth and UTV Hindi Movies.
Earlier in her career, Prabhu spent nearly eight years at Sony Pictures Networks India, then known as Multi Screen Media, where she worked as assistant vice president for strategic planning and research.
Her return to Sony, she said, carries a sense of familiarity and renewed purpose.
“Every story has its turning points, and sometimes journeys come full circle,” she said while announcing the move, describing the role as both a fresh start and a homecoming.
Over the past two decades, Prabhu has worked across multiple facets of the media ecosystem, from brand building and strategy to programming and franchise development. She believes movies remain one of the most powerful storytelling formats, capable of shaping culture and sparking conversations long after the credits roll.
At Sony Pictures Networks India, she will lead the Hindi movies business and work with the network’s teams to expand the reach and impact of its film channels as audiences increasingly discover cinema across multiple platforms.
For Prabhu, the move marks the start of what she calls “the next act”, one focused on bringing the magic of Hindi cinema to viewers across the country.
