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RS Sodhi conferred ‘Business Leader of the Year’ at the 8th IAA Leadership Awards
Mumbai: The India chapter of the International Advertising Association’s (IAA) has announced the winners for the eighth edition of the Leadership Awards here on Friday evening.
Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (Amul) managing director Dr RS Sodhi bagged the top honours for Business Leader of the Year. Sony Pictures Network India CEO NP Singh was conferred with the Media Person of the Year award. Veteran film actor Anil Kapoor walked home with the Brand Endorser for the Year award, while Wion’s executive editor Palki Sharma Upadhyay was awarded TV Anchor of the Year.
“I have learned a lot from people right from my retailer to the people sitting here because we interact with the best in the advertising and marketing industry,” said Dr Sodhi, in his acceptance speech. “I would like to tell you one thing that in today’s time the advertising and marketing field has garnered a lot of importance. There are so many retailers coming into the market. The pressure is growing. In order to prove yourself, you have to be creative, and when you bring that creativity in the local language, you will be closer to earth and you will be relevant in the industry.”
The IAA Leadership Awards, which honour individuals in the fields of marketing, advertising and media every year, were presented by the Maharashtra governor and chief guest at the function Bhagat Singh Koshyari, and IAA India chapter president Megha Tata, among others.
Zee was the presenting partner, Good News Today (GNT) powered by partner & Viacom18 the associate partner for the event.
“While we were planning the awards for 2021 we wanted to highlight leaders that have established new age businesses. For one thing this year has taught us is to be agile,” said IAA president Megha Tata.
“We have seen time and again that change or unexpected situations often lead to some brands or organizations and people succeeding while some may collapse. The difference between the two begins right at the top with the leader. And while I can describe our leaders tonight in many ways, I would just like to say that these unprecedented times call for unprecedented leadership and our leaders today definitely delivered on that,” she added.
IAA India inducted Raj Nayak into the IAA Hall of Fame for investing a lifetime in the MarCom industry and for his sterling role in directing the India chapter of IAA towards its ongoing role in being the voice of sustainability.
Other prominent recipients at the awards were Bobby Pawar (Creative Agency Leader of the Year), Nandini Dias (Media Agency Leader of the Year), and Raj Kamal Jha (Editor of the Year).
“True leadership is often about perspective, inner perspective. And for men and women with vision it is not always about different things, but sometimes it’s about the same things differently,” said IAA Leadership Awards co-chair Nandini Dias, articulating her thoughts on the definition of leadership. “That’s when one understands what leadership is actually made of. Leadership is not a talent, art form or science. It is simply about taking the first step in spaces where there are no written rules. So you make your rules because you make your own limits.”
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Lego brings Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Vinicius together
Campaign clocks 314 million views ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 buzz.
MUMBAI: Four legends, one frame and not a single tackle in sight. Lego has pulled off a crossover few thought possible, uniting Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior in a single campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 only this time, they’re building dreams brick by brick.
Titled “Everyone wants a piece”, the campaign features the quartet assembling a Lego version of the World Cup trophy, before placing miniature versions of themselves atop it, a playful nod to football’s ultimate prize. Shared widely across social media, the ad carries a pointed disclaimer: it is not AI-generated, a subtle but telling signal in an era where even reality is often questioned.
The numbers tell their own story. The campaign has already crossed 314 million views on Instagram across the players’ accounts, with fans hailing it as a rare, almost nostalgic moment particularly for the reunion of Messi and Ronaldo, whose last shared campaign ahead of the 2022 World Cup became one of the platform’s most-liked posts.
Beyond the film, Lego is extending the play with exclusive, player-themed sets tied to each of the four stars, part of a broader football-led programme designed to ride the global momentum building towards 2026. The idea, as echoed by the players themselves, leans into the parallels between football and play experimentation, creativity, failure, and triumph.
Messi described the sets as a way to bring on-pitch moments into an imaginative, hands-on world, while Ronaldo called the transformation into a Lego figure a rare honour, blending sport with storytelling. Vinícius, meanwhile, struck a more personal note, recalling childhood moments of building with Lego and framing creativity as a universal language that transcends borders.
The timing is no accident. With the 2026 World Cup set to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and featuring an expanded 48-team format, global anticipation is already building. Argentina, led by Messi, will enter as defending champions, adding another layer of intrigue.
For Lego, the campaign does more than celebrate football, it taps into its mythology. Because when icons become figurines and rivalries turn into play, the beautiful game finds a new kind of pitch. one built, quite literally, by hand.
