Brands
Poco unveils new identity with quirky ‘Made Of Mad’ films
NEW DELHI: Leading online smartphone brand Poco India has come up with a new brand identity – ‘Made of Mad’, in a fun campaign created by DDB Mudra.
The series of quirky films features the Poco’s new mascot conveying the brand story with unconventional and edgy visuals. The campaign attempted to go beyond just being a showcase of the superlative specs of the phone and highlights the brand ideology.
At a time when the booming yet crowded smartphone category is witnessing sameness in advertising, specs, looks, and positioning, the campaign has tried to break through the clutter and appeal to the psyche of millennials and Gen Z. It has done that by using unconventional visuals and storytelling devices which could leave an impact in a world of high voltage celebrity endorsements.
Poco India marketing head Raghav Chitra said, “‘Made of Mad’ is a creative rendition of what our fans and consumers can expect from a brand that imbibes a very unique, compelling philosophy behind its products. It is also a representation of our consumers who are driven by the spirit of mad: independent, ambitious, eccentric, and irreverent in their pursuit of perfection. Through this initiative, we want to build a belief system that enhances the overall Poco experience that our users find relevant.”
According to DDB Mudra Group creative director Vishnu Srivastav, the effort was to differentiate Poco clearly in the minds of the youth. “Somewhere along the way, we heard from consumers that Poco must be mad to give such features at such a price. So, we wanted to celebrate this mad spirit in its way with work that’s both eccentric and entertaining,” he added.
The #MadeForMad campaign is live on social media.
Legend of Mad (main film) – https://youtu.be/VFX2l_SgtWM
Mad is the light – https://youtu.be/YdMm26OPrn8
When life gives you madness – https://youtu.be/GYuNJ6_9qQM
Unboxing madness – https://youtu.be/VOeRRD7gRCE
Madness is served – https://youtu.be/cGYu3BzMA9U
Brands
Reserve Bank of India cancels Paytm Payments Bank licence
Central bank cites compliance failures; curbs tighten as wind-up looms
MUMBAI: India’s banking watchdog delivered its sharpest blow yet to Paytm Payments Bank, cancelling its licence and effectively ending its ability to operate as a bank under the law.
The Reserve Bank of India said the entity can no longer conduct banking business under the Banking Regulation Act, citing concerns that its affairs were not being run in the interest of depositors or the public and that it had failed to meet licence conditions.
The move escalates a crackdown that has been building for months. The bank had already been barred from onboarding new customers since March 11, 2022, and later faced restrictions on deposits, credit and wallet top-ups. In January 2024, the central bank ordered it to stop accepting fresh deposits, pointing to persistent non-compliance, including lapses in customer due diligence, use of funds and technology systems.
Operationally, the bank is now on a tight leash. It may process withdrawals of existing deposits and facilitate loan referrals through banking correspondents, but it cannot take fresh deposits.
The central bank said it would apply to the high court to wind up the bank.
Paytm sought to ringfence the fallout. In a regulatory filing, it said the licence cancellation applies to Paytm Payments Bank Limited, a separate entity, and should not be attributed to One 97 Communications. It added that there is no exposure or material business arrangement with the bank and that it operates independently, without Paytm’s board or management involvement.
“As informed earlier, Paytm (One 97 Communications Limited) and its services, which have been operating without interruption, will continue to operate uninterrupted. These include the Paytm app, Paytm UPI, Paytm Gold and all other services offered by its subsidiaries and associated companies,” the company said.
The distinction may reassure users of the app ecosystem, but the regulator’s verdict is unequivocal. After years of warnings, caps and curbs, the payments bank experiment at Paytm is being shut down—decisively, and with little room left to manoeuvre.
