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Pulse Candy brings AI-powered Ganesh Mahotsav to iconic Maharashtra pandals
Mumbai: Pulse Candy, a leading hard-boiled candy brand from DS Group, launches Pulse Ganesh Mahotsav, a celebration blending the spirit of Ganesh Chaturthi with AI technology. The campaign combines iconic pandals across Maharashtra with an innovative digital experience, allowing devotees to visualise their version of Ganesha.
Pulse Candy collaborates with renowned pandals, including Lalbaugcha Raja in Mumbai, Tulsi Bagh Mandal in Pune, Nashikcha Raja, Yaadgar Ganesh Pandal in Aurangabad, and Mecosabagh Servajanik Ganesh Utsav Mandal in Nagpur. To enhance the festival experience, the brand introduces the concept “Meri Bhakti Mere Bappa”, using AI to bring devotees’ imagined visualisations of Ganesha to life.
Visitors to these pandals can interact with AI technology through tablets, describing their vision of Ganesha. The system generates personalised images of the deity, subtly incorporating Pulse candy, which is then projected onto large screens for all to see.
DSFL’s marketing GM, Arvind Kumar said: “Maharashtra is a key market for our hard-boiled candy business, with the Pulse Ganesh Mahotsav, we aim to resonate with the young audience, ensuring that the brand remains both relevant and cherished. By blending tradition with technology, the Pulse Ganesh Mahotsav allows us to connect with the youth and the community at large, offering them a memorable experience that resonates with the spirit of the festival. Through this initiative, we aim to celebrate the diversity of choices and the vibrancy of devotion, much like our Pulse candy flavours.”
To expand this initiative, Pulse launched a contest on social media and an AI microsite. Users can create their own AI-generated Ganesha images, share them on social media or WhatsApp, and win exciting prizes. This ensures that the festive spirit reaches devotees nationwide, even those unable to visit the pandals.
MAM
Budweiser launches ‘Let It Pour’ platform for FIFA World Cup 2026
Campaign spans 40 plus markets with fan events, merchandise and global film.
MUMBAI: When the whistle blows, Budweiser wants the celebrations to flow just as freely. The beer brand has unveiled ‘Let It Pour’, its global football platform for the FIFA World Cup 2026, kicking off a four-year build-up with a campaign designed to turn fandom into a shared, full-throttle experience. Rolling out across more than 40 countries, including India, the initiative blends on-ground activations, merchandise and a star-led global film to capture the emotional surge of the sport’s biggest stage.
At the centre of the campaign are football heavyweights Erling Haaland and Jürgen Klopp, who front the messaging around passion, performance and collective celebration. For Haaland, set to make his FIFA World Cup debut in 2026, the platform mirrors the intensity of a moment he has long worked towards, while Klopp lends his signature energy to amplify the spirit of fans coming together.
The campaign’s global film leans into that shared emotion where matches spill beyond stadiums into homes, bars and city streets over the tournament’s 39-day run. Set to Joe Cocker’s Feelin’ Alright, it captures how football blurs boundaries, turning strangers into teammates and moments into memories.
Beyond storytelling, Budweiser is building a broader ecosystem around the campaign. The Bud Fan Store will offer exclusive tournament-inspired merchandise, from football kits to branded apparel, while Bud FC developed with Wink will host experiential fan events across select markets, recreating stadium-like energy in festival settings.
India forms a key part of this push. With football fandom on the rise, particularly among younger audiences, Budweiser 0.0 is positioned to anchor local activations, bringing fans closer to the global spectacle through community-led experiences.
The move reinforces Budweiser’s four-decade association with the FIFA World Cup, but also signals an evolution in approach. Instead of simply sponsoring the game, the brand is leaning into culture creating multiple touchpoints where fans can participate, not just watch.
In a tournament where every goal sparks a reaction, Budweiser is betting that the real win lies in how loudly and how collectively that reaction pours out.
