MAM
O&M works on new campaign for ‘HT Next’
NEW DELHI: The Hindustan Times has initiated a multi-media campaign for its recently introduced youth-centric edition HT Next. Beginning with a series of print advertisements, the campaign will soon be extended to outdoor and radio mediums as well.
Ogilvy & Mather Delhi office, which had bagged The Hindustan Times advertising account last year, has worked on the new campaign. The agency had also worked on Delhi-based publishing company’s new communication strategy for the flagship daily and Brunch edition.
On the new campaign, O&M creative consultant Ajay Gahlaut said, “HT Next edition has been developed for youngsters in their teens, who are experiencing those wonder years between childhood and full adulthood. This is the insight the communication attempts to leverage.”
For instance, one of the print advertisement says: ‘Run to mommy’ on the left and ‘Run from mommy’ on the right, with a line connecting the two which says: ‘A newspaper for those in-between years.’ Another says ‘Party ends at 6 pm’ on the left and ‘Party ends at 6 am’ on the right with the same connecting line.
While outdoor is an extension of the print work, the agency has also worked upon one spot for radio. “It’s a 30-second spot, which is basically a youthful peppy song. Through this music-based approach, we decided to communicate the fact that it’s a youth-centric edition,” he said.
“As it is completely typographical and based on a strong insight, this campaign has the merit of being clutter breaking yet relevant. The campaign is different from the Hindustan Times and Brunch campaigns in that it is completely typo led. The other two were visual campaigns,” says Gahlaut.
According to media reports, Hindustan Times had conducted a research and the new edition’s content has been shaped up on the basis of the findings, in which the target audience didn’t show much inclination towards politics and business or finance news.
The editorial, according to HT, contains sports news, nuggets on celebrities, world news etc. The website Htnext.com, in addition to the print content, also has two sections – Trendy Teens and Juniors in order to cater to specific segments of the youth. Trendy Teens has sections such as career tips, space trek, e-humor, mixed bag and fight it out. Juniors, on the other hand, has sections such as summer camps, around the world and other sections that are targeted to audiences below the age of 12.
The agency has stressed on the fact that HT Next is especially for young audience. “Since HT Next as a newspaper edition for youngsters is a first for India, it was important to highlight the age band of its target audience in the communication. People needed to know that it was a newspaper exclusively for teens,” says Gahlaut.
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.
