MAM
pepsi’s ‘World Cup Ke Shikari’ begins airing
MUMBAI: With the World Cup 2003 just days away, the frenzy in the advertising world is scaling new heights. The latest is the series of Pepsi promo campaigns slated around the World Cup, the first one being the World Cup ke Shikari TV started appearing on various television channels from today.
The 50-second ad conceptualised by Pepsi’s ad agency JWT has been directed by ad man Prahlad Kakkar. The advertisement features Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, VVS Laxman, Mohammad Kaif and Harbhajan Singh and a lion called “Jock”.
The ad, which has been shot on location in Mumbai and South Africa, shows the players practising cricket. However, when the players decide to take a Pepsi break, to their utter horror, they discover a lion lying next to their Pepsi. The ad tells a hilarious story about how the players retrieve their Pepsi from the lion.
Not surprisingly, Pepsi has simultaneously rolled out the Pepsi Badaa Shikari Hunt contest in association with Max, Nickelodeon and MTV. Six young lucky winners of the contest will get an opportunity to lead the Indian Cricket Team onto the ground during the Cricket World Cup 2003, states a release .
To enter the contest , participants are required to write a letter to the Indian Captain…”Dear Sourav …”, telling him why he or she should be leading the team, the release adds. Six of the best entries along with a parent or friend will travel to South Africa on an all expense paid trip, to lead the team onto the grounds .
In addition, autographed goodies like sling bags, team shirts, stumps with posters and Pepsi Shikari gear will be given away as prizes through a number of other promotions as well.
According to the release, Pepsi is set to launch its next promo called Sher Ke Mooh Mein Haath Dalopromo as well. Yet another consumer campaign Pepsi Piyega Toh Shikari Ban Jayega promotion offering similar merchandise is also slated for a launch soon, the release adds.
To attract consumers and encourage participations in the promotions and contests, Pepsi has also put up spectacular outdoor and attractive shop signages and merchandising based on the World Cup theme across 2500 outlets .Specially designed Pepsi World Cup trucks are also roaming the streets in cities and towns.
Brands
Beep App launches Gen-Z career platform, clocks 30,000 plus placements
Pune startup turns scrolling into career action with learn-explore-earn model
PUNE: Beep App has rolled out its newly positioned career-focused app aimed at Gen-Z users, as it looks to bridge what it calls a growing gap between exposure and employability among young Indians.
Formerly known as EventBeep, the platform is built around a simple but timely idea: turning everyday scrolling into meaningful career action. The app targets students and early professionals, offering a unified space to explore career options, learn relevant skills and access internships and job opportunities.
At a time when short-form content dominates screen time, Beep is attempting to flip the script by embedding structured, career-oriented insights within a familiar scroll-based interface. The idea is not to disrupt user behaviour, but to redirect it.
The platform spans a wide range of fields, including artificial intelligence, product management, design and data analytics. It provides users with insights into role expectations, required skills and step-by-step career pathways, supported by inputs from industry practitioners.
At the heart of the offering is a “learn, explore, earn” model that integrates discovery, skill-building and hiring into one ecosystem. The company says this closed-loop approach is already gaining traction, with over 30,000 placements facilitated so far.
“Gen-Z does not lack ambition; what they often lack is structured direction,” said Beep App founder and CEO Saurabh Mangrulkar. “The Beep App is designed to organise that exposure into actionable pathways so users can move from intent to execution with greater confidence.”
The launch comes amid a broader shift in India’s job market towards skills-first hiring, where practical experience and demonstrable capabilities are increasingly valued alongside academic qualifications.
Founded in 2021, Beep App has grown steadily within the student ecosystem, connecting over 6.5 million users with opportunities across more than 1,500 colleges and 7,800 hiring companies.
Looking ahead, the company plans to deepen its content across emerging sectors, expand its hiring network and build more personalised career pathways tailored to user behaviour.
As Gen-Z continues to navigate a complex and fast-evolving job market, platforms that can turn curiosity into clarity may well shape the next wave of career discovery.
