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.
Brands
Jubilant FoodWorks faces Rs 47.5 crore GST demand, plans appeal
Tax authorities flag alleged misclassification of restaurant services
MUMBAI: Jubilant FoodWorks Limited has landed in a tax tussle after receiving a GST demand of Rs 47.5 crore from the office of the additional commissioner of CGST and central excise in Thane, Maharashtra.
The order, issued under the provisions of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, relates to an alleged incorrect classification of certain services under the category of restaurant services. According to the tax authorities, this classification resulted in a short payment of goods and services tax for the period between the financial years 2019-20 and 2021-22.
The demand includes Rs 47.5 crore in GST along with an equal amount as penalty, in addition to applicable interest. The order was received by the company on March 13, 2026.
In a regulatory filing to the BSE Limited and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited, the company said it disagrees with the order and believes its arguments were not adequately considered.
The company is preparing to challenge the decision and plans to file an appeal. It added that once the redressal process is complete, the demand is likely to be dropped.
Despite the sizeable figure attached to the notice, the company said it does not expect any material impact on its financials, operations or other activities.
The disclosure was signed by Suman Hegde, EVP and chief financial officer, who confirmed that the company received the order at 19:06 IST on March 13 and has already initiated steps to contest it.
The development places the quick service restaurant major in the middle of a tax debate that could hinge on how certain restaurant-linked services are classified under GST rules. For now, the company appears ready to take the matter from the tax office to the appeals desk.
