MAM
Pepsi ropes in Sharman Joshi as brand ambassador for 7Up
MUMBAI: Food and beverage company, PepsiCo India, has appointed actor Sharman Joshi as brand ambassador for its natural lemon flavoured drink, 7Up.
The brand has also roped in renowned film director, Rajkumar Hirani, to direct the new on-air campaign around the theme, ‘Gussa Hatao, Chill Machao‘. The campaign that includes two television commercials is expected to go on air by the end of March.
The on-air campaign will be supported by outdoor, online and on-ground activation.
Says PepsiCo India Beverages Category Marketing Director (Flavoured Carbonated Drinks) Alpana Titus, “Sharman, with his calm, unruffled and extremely affable personality is a perfect match to highlight the brand‘s positioning of a cool, refreshing drink. With Raju Hirani creating his magic with the ad films, we are confident that our consumers will not only enjoy the campaign but also identify with the theme of ‘Gussa Hatao, Chill Machao‘. We look forward to a great summer season; kick starting with this exciting campaign.”
The campaign highlights issues of anger management. The TVCs revolve around these instances and Sharman as the new 7UP guy proves to the enraged characters that their anger is misplaced. This is best to douse it with a chilled bottle of 7UP, through a series of witty and offbeat questions.
Director Hirani said, “I am very selective about the TVCs I direct, but the scripts that I received for 7UP were very interesting. I saw the scope of adding value to the message, since this campaign is not just about giving gyaan. The thought behind the characters‘ self realization of stupidity while getting angry is superb.”
The first TVC revolves around a man who has been splashed with mud by a speeding truck and gives the truck a chase on his two-wheeler, hell-bent on teaching the driver a lesson. The second film is about a fight that breaks out between two fans of rival soccer teams while they are watching a match. A fight made even more ridiculous by the fact that neither of them has any connection whatsoever with the countries playing. In both TVCs, Sharman appears as the cool voice of reason, diffusing their anger with 7UP.
“Every minute you spend in anger, you lose 60 seconds of cool! With growing instances of mindless flare-ups that we see around us every day, this philosophy is sure to resonate with the youth,” said BBDO India executive creative director Sandipan Bhattacharya.
MAM
Wagh Bakri Tea Group appoints Tushar Tripathi as new CEO
Long-serving COO steps up to lead the tea major’s next phase of growth.
MUMBAI: Wagh Bakri Tea Group has found the perfect blend for its future leadership promoting from within. The company has announced the appointment of Tushar Tripathi as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Tripathi, who previously served as Chief Operating Officer, brings over 17 years of deep experience within the organisation and will now steer its overall business strategy, operational efficiency, and long-term value creation.
In his earlier role, Tripathi led Plant, Operations, and Projects, playing a key part in enhancing operational excellence. His notable contributions include introducing the first Automated Storage & Retrieval System (ASRS) in India’s tea industry, implementing global quality and food safety standards, establishing a NABL-accredited quality lab, and expanding the company’s manufacturing and distribution networks.
Speaking on his appointment, Tushar Tripathi said, “I am deeply honoured to take on this responsibility at Wagh Bakri. It has been a privilege to contribute to the Group’s journey, and I look forward to working with our teams to strengthen innovation, enhance efficiency, and create sustainable value for all stakeholders.”
Wagh Bakri Tea Group executive director Paras Desai added, “Mr Tushar Tripathi has been an integral part of our leadership team for many years. His deep operational insight, commitment, and balanced leadership approach make him the ideal choice to guide Wagh Bakri into its next phase of growth.”
Tripathi holds a BE in Mechanical Engineering and has completed management development programmes in project management and logistics from leading Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).
With this internal elevation, Wagh Bakri Tea Group is signalling continuity and confidence in its home-grown talent as it looks to accelerate innovation and sustainable growth in the competitive tea industry.
In the world of tea, where the right infusion makes all the difference, Wagh Bakri has chosen a leader who already knows every leaf and layer of the organisation. The future, it seems, is brewing smoothly under Tripathi’s watch.
