MAM
Saksham Kohli hops over to FCB India as president of new venture
GURGAON: Saksham Kohli has landed at FCB India as president of FCB NEO, marking the end of a nearly seven-year stint at Cheil Worldwide where he shepherded Samsung’s flagship mobile campaigns.
The move, announced this month, sees Kohli swapping his associate vice-president perch at Cheil—where he orchestrated integrated campaigns for Samsung’s mobile portfolio and ecosystem products—for the top job at FCB’s new venture.
At Cheil since 2019, Kohli climbed from director of client services to associate vice-president, spending his final months managing full-funnel marketing strategies that blended creative, digital and media. Before that, he put in three years at Ogilvy, steering brands including Perfetti Van Melle, Pernod Ricard India, BMW Mini and Dupont through 40-odd large-scale integrated campaigns.
His advertising pedigree includes a two-and-a-half-year spell at FCB Global (2013-2016) handling Whirlpool’s India operations, plus stints at McCann on Aircel, Ogilvy & Mather on KFC India, Publicis on Beam Global Spirits & Wine, and BBDO India on Wrigley’s and Hewlett Packard.
Kohli’s pitch: marketing that starts with understanding people and ends with measurable impact. Whether FCB Neo delivers on that promise remains to be seen—but with a Samsung-sized portfolio under his belt, he’s certainly had the practice.
Brands
Mother’s Recipe launches Summerwala Sharbat range
Five nostalgic flavours priced at Rs 215 aim to tap summer refreshment demand.
MUMBAI: Call it a sip of summer nostalgia, Mother’s Recipe is bottling childhood memories and pouring them back into the present. The homegrown ethnic food brand has introduced its Summerwala Sharbat range, a five-flavour line-up designed to recreate the familiar tastes and rituals of Indian summers, while catering to modern consumption habits. The range features Mango Panna, Rose Syrup, Jeera Masala Syrup, Khus Syrup and Lemon Ginger Squash, each rooted in flavours that have long defined seasonal refreshment across Indian households. From the tang of raw mango to the cooling comfort of khus, the portfolio leans heavily into recall, not reinvention.
At a time when brands are increasingly leaning on nostalgia as a strategic lever, Mother’s Recipe is positioning Summerwala Sharbat as both a functional beverage and an emotional cue. The idea is simple: revive the small, everyday rituals post-play drinks, family gatherings, the clink of ice in a glass that once defined summer afternoons.
The products are packaged in 750 ml PET bottles and priced at Rs 215, targeting both routine household consumption and social occasions. Distribution spans leading e-commerce platforms as well as select offline retail outlets.
Mother’s Recipe executive director Sanjana Desai said the intent was to bring back flavours tied to “taste, routine and home”, while making them relevant for today’s consumers.
The move reflects a broader shift in the beverages market, where heritage-led storytelling and familiarity are increasingly being used to stand out in a crowded, innovation-heavy category.
With Summerwala Sharbat, Mother’s Recipe isn’t just selling a drink, it’s selling a season, one glass at a time.
