MAM
Ogilvy India makes key top-level appointments
MUMBAI: Advertising agency Ogilvy India has announced the appointment of Prem Narayan as its new chief strategy officer and Balagopalan Ganapathy as the new head of planning, Ogilvy Mumbai. Narayan and Ganapathy have started in their respective roles with immediate effect.
In his capacity as chief strategy officer, Narayan will lead the planning team to drive the national agenda. He will also continue to partner the CCOs and business heads to deliver creative solutions to clients nationally. Narayan will report directly to Kunal Jeswani.
Narayan has been with Ogilvy since 2004. He has been part of the team that pioneered the planning function in the agency. He has worked on many clients during this journey – Asian Paints, Bajaj, Blue Star, Castrol, Ceat, GreenPly, ICICI Bank, MP Birla Group, Tata Motors, Tata Sky, Unilever, Zandu to name a few. He has partnered creative agencies to generate outstanding work with brands like Asian Paints, Tata Safari, Bru, Hamam and Red Label. He has won the respect and love of all clients, creative and client servicing partners he has worked with. He has won many Effies on his brands (including last year’s AME agency of year).
Ogilvy India vice chairman and director of client relation Madhukar Sabnavis says, “Prem and Ganapathy are two accomplished planners of Ogilvy who have contributed to function in the last decade; their promotion is a recognition of this. They are the ideal next generation planners to take Ogilvy Planning in India to the next level.”
Ganapathy, aka Guns, will report to Narayan and work with the city business heads and CCOs to drive the planning agenda for Mumbai office. Guns has been part of the planning team since 2005. He has built strong relationships and been part of the team that has done stellar work on brands such as Asian Paints, Bajaj, Cadbury, Home Center, JSW, ITC and Pidilite to name a few. He has been the agency’s Effectiveness Champion for years- and the first and only IPA winner for Cadbury Dairy Milk in 2013. Guns is a much admired planning leader who has won the love and respect of every client he has worked with.
Ogilvy India CEO Kunal Jeswani adds, “Ogilvy is, and has always been, a place full of opportunity and growth for talent that shines. Prem and Guns represent the best of Ogilvy, not just as planners but as Ogilvy Ambassadors. I am excited to see them lead change in our industry and our company, driving integrated strategy and planning across our brands and disciplines.”
Both of them a part of the training faculty at Ogilvy and have conducted several training programs for the young talent in Ogilvy.
MAM
Barista partners Ginny Weds Sunny 2 with mango campaign
Cafe chain blends cinema buzz with summer menu and 20 per cent offer.
MUMBAI: Love may brew slowly, but marketing clearly doesn’t especially when coffee meets cinema and mangoes steal the spotlight. Barista Coffee Company has partnered with the upcoming hindi film Ginny Weds Sunny 2 as its official beverage partner, in a move aimed at tapping into youth culture through entertainment-led engagement. The collaboration is not just a logo placement exercise. Instead, Barista is translating the film’s high-energy vibe into its cafés with a themed summer menu titled “Main Hoon Mango”, accompanied by a limited-period 20 per cent discount on combo offerings across outlets.
Actors Medha Shankr and Avinash Tiwary feature in the campaign, seen engaging with the mango-themed menu inside Barista cafés, a visual cue designed to blur the lines between reel and real-life consumption moments.
The strategy reflects a broader shift in how consumer brands are leveraging hindi film industry not just for visibility, but for immersive, on-ground engagement. By embedding the film’s narrative into its product experience, Barista is aiming to drive footfall, especially among younger audiences who increasingly seek experiential touchpoints over traditional advertising.
Barista Coffee Company CEO Rajat Agrawal described the partnership as both a branding and growth play, focused on expanding reach beyond the existing customer base and aligning with evolving consumer preferences.
The emphasis on a seasonal, flavour-led hook mango, one of India’s most culturally resonant ingredients adds a timely layer to the campaign, aligning with summer consumption trends while riding on the film’s promotional momentum.
For Barista, the move is part of a larger positioning shift. Rather than operating purely as a coffee retail chain, the brand is increasingly framing itself as a lifestyle destination, one that intersects with entertainment, conversation and shared experiences. By integrating cinema into its physical spaces, Barista is effectively turning cafés into micro-extensions of the film’s universe, where consumers do not just watch a story unfold but participate in it sip by sip.
The 20 per cent offer further nudges trial, lowering the barrier for consumers to engage with the themed menu while amplifying recall through a tangible incentive.
Brand-film collaborations are hardly new, but their execution is evolving. Where earlier partnerships relied on co-branded ads or product placements, the current playbook leans towards immersive storytelling and retail integration.
In that sense, Barista’s “Main Hoon Mango” push is less about promotion and more about participation inviting consumers to experience a slice of the film within a familiar, everyday setting. As the film industry continues to act as a cultural amplifier, such partnerships underline a growing truth, in today’s attention economy, it is not enough to be seen brands must be experienced.
And if that experience comes with a mango twist and a cinematic backdrop, all the better.
