Brands
PepsiCo India triumphs at Cannes Lions 2024 with four wins
Mumbai: PepsiCo India has once again distinguished itself in the marketing world by winning four awards at this year’s Cannes Lions, making it the brand with the highest number of awards.
Gatorade earned one gold and one bronze award for its groundbreaking Turf Finder initiative, recognised in the creative data category and entertainment for sports under live experience subcategory. Launched earlier this year, the Turf Finder Initiative is designed to ignite a passion for sports among residents of India’s bustling metropolitan areas. This initiative reflects Gatorade’s dedication towards promoting active lifestyles and fostering a love for sports in urban environments.
Speaking on the win, chief marketing officer, India beverages, Tarun Bhagat said, “We are immensely honored and thrilled by Gatorade’s success at the 71st Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Winning top honors such as the Gold in the Creative Data Lions for Data-enhanced Creativity, and a Bronze in the Entertainment Lions for the Sports category is a significant achievement that highlights our innovative approach and dedication to fostering an active-lifestyle culture in India.
Our Turf Finder initiative, leveraging Google Maps data, perfectly aligns with our mission to promote active lifestyles. In bustling metropolitan cities, there is a significant challenge in finding adequate spaces for playing sports. Despite a strong intent to engage in playing sports, individuals often find it difficult to locate suitable spaces due to a lack of adequate play areas. With Turf Finder, Gatorade seeks to solve this issue by leveraging the data from Google Maps to identify potential areas and transform them into playing areas, thereby providing sporting access for everyone. This initiative underscores Gatorade’s commitment to addressing real-world challenges and fostering community engagement in meaningful and impactful ways. We are grateful for the support and collaboration that made this possible and look forward to furthering our mission to promote sports and an active lifestyle.”
Similarly, Lay’s achieved remarkable success, winning two awards, including one silver and one bronze in categories such as Glass: The Lion for Change and Sustainable Development Goals under live experience subcategory, along with the prestigious WARC Creative Effectiveness Grand Prix. The ‘Drops of Joy’ campaign, launched to reclaim water vapour during potato frying to achieve water-positivity, and ‘Farm Equal’, a project empowering over 2,500 women farmers in India with specialized tools in collaboration with USAID, were recognized for their innovation and impact.
Commenting on the occasion, Lay’s India – PepsiCo category lead Saumya Rathor said: “We’re overjoyed to have our efforts recognized at Cannes. At our core, Lay’s is rooted in agriculture and deeply values the communities we work with and the environment we depend on. Our ‘Drops of Joy’ campaign highlights our efforts in water positivity by reclaiming water during production. Additionally, through Project Farm Equal, we’ve had the privilege of empowering over 2,500 women farmers, providing them with the tools and support they need. Winning Cannes Lions for these initiatives is a humbling reminder that our dedication to making a positive impact is resonating and making a difference.”
Publicis Groupe, South Asia chief creative officer & Leo Burnett, South Asia chairman Rajdeepak Das added “With PepsiCo we have found the right partners who are aligned to our vision of using the power of creativity to make a real difference. All the campaigns from Gatorade Turf Finder, Lays Farm Equal and Drops of Joy use modern-day technology and tools to make a difference to our communities, and we couldn’t be prouder of our partnership with PepsiCo. And we are thrilled that some of the most creative minds from around the world who are part of the prestigious Cannes Jury also resonated with our work, winning us these precious Lions.”
These achievements by Gatorade and Lay’s highlight PepsiCo India’s commitment to innovation and its ability to create impactful campaigns that engage audiences and drive positive change.
Brands
Neha Malhotra joins Zee Music Company as SVP- marketing
After entrepreneurial stint, she returns to music biz with sharper focus
MUMBAI: Neha Malhotra has joined Zee Music Company as senior vice president – marketing, marking a return to the music industry after a year-long entrepreneurial stint.
Malhotra most recently founded and led OneNative Content Studio, where she worked as a partner, focusing on strategic marketing, business strategy and content-led brand solutions. Her move back into a large music label signals a shift from building independently to scaling within an established ecosystem.
Prior to this, she spent over four years at Saregama India Ltd., where she held multiple leadership roles including assistant general manager, chief marketing manager and senior marketing manager. Her tenure saw her work across artist marketing, campaign strategy and brand positioning in a rapidly evolving digital music landscape.
Her earlier career spans stints at IN10 Media and Gipsy Hospitality & Destinations Pvt. Ltd., where she led integrated marketing campaigns, public relations and brand launches across entertainment and hospitality verticals. She also held roles at Tata Sky Ltd and UTV, building a foundation in content acquisition and media strategy.
Sharing the update, Malhotra reflected on her journey over the past year, describing it as a phase shaped by “pressure, perspective and learning what leadership really looks like when things aren’t certain.” She added that the experience of building from scratch helped sharpen her instincts and approach to decision-making.
At Zee Music Company, she is expected to lead marketing strategy and drive artist-led storytelling, at a time when music labels are increasingly competing for audience attention across digital platforms.
Her appointment underlines a broader trend of seasoned marketing leaders blending entrepreneurial experience with corporate scale. As Malhotra steps into her new role, the focus will be on turning that hybrid perspective into campaigns that not only cut through the noise but also stay true to the music.
