Brands
Pedigree strikes the right note for pets this Diwali
MUMBAI: Now here’s a pawsitive tune-up for Diwali! India’s leading dog food brand Pedigree, from Mars Petcare, has launched an AI-powered ‘Pawsome Playlist,’ a first-of-its-kind musical initiative designed to keep furry friends calm and relaxed amid the festive fireworks.
Developed with inputs from veterinarian Jasleen Kaur, the playlist uses AI to generate soothing, rhythm-based tracks that help reduce canine anxiety. Hosted on Youtube, the Pawsome Playlist draws on scientific insights into how dogs respond to calming frequencies and consistent beats.
“At Mars Petcare, we know pets do more than keep us company, they help us feel calm and connected,” said Mars Petcare India chief marketing officer Ayesha Huda. “This Diwali, we wanted to return that love by creating something that brings peace and comfort to them.”
The campaign also comes with a touch of creativity from 22feet Tribal Worldwide, whose executive creative director Shyam Nair revealed that each AI-generated track, with witty titles like ‘Sugar? No Please.’ and ‘Wait for Wags.,’ was designed to soothe pets while gently reminding owners to show more empathy.
Echoing the sentiment, Kaur added, “Music can profoundly influence animal behaviour. It’s wonderful to see technology being used so intuitively to improve pet wellbeing.”
With Pawsome Playlist, Pedigree has found a way to mix compassion, technology and rhythm, proving that this Diwali, the sweetest sounds of all might just be a happy, wagging tail.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
