MAM
Santoor ropes in celebrity superstars for different regions in its mega campaign
MUMBAI: Santoor, India’s leading soap brand, roped popular celebrities Mahesh Babu, Karthi and Varun Dhawan for its new multi-media campaign. This is the first time that Santoor has roped in three celebrities simultaneously for different regions as part of its hyperlocal marketing strategy.
Mr. Anil Chugh, President – Consumer Care Business, Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting, said, “Through Santoor advertising we tell a new story about ‘Mistaken Age’ in 30 seconds. Focus of our communication is on the Santoor protagonist and key message of Younger Looking Skin. Celebrities helps us to deliver this message sharply in the film, apart from helping to break the clutter and gain high brand recall. Over the years we have carefully chosen celebrities for Santoor. Keeping the essence of Santoor in mind, stars Varun Dhawan, Mahesh Babu and Karthi were the perfect fit to tell our new story of the Santoor Woman.”
Santoor’s new communication includes a TV commercial that presents the brand’s signature campaign of mistaken identity and the core proposition of Younger Looking Skin in a new light. The commercial is shot by advertising agency ADK Fortune.
Capturing India’s passion for cricket, the commercial is filmed in a stadium with the backdrop of a cricket match where the celebrity is in the stands enjoying the match. Suddenly a sixer wings his way and while the celebrity attempts to catch the ball, it is caught by the protagonist. Looking at the protagonist the celebrity feels she can be a new female lead for his next film. While the protagonist is rejoicing, a little girl runs up to the reveler shouting ‘Mummy’, which leaves the celebrity and everyone around surprised.
For over 35 years, Santoor has delivered on the promise of “Younger Looking Skin" through superior product offerings using natural ingredients. Keeping this positioning consistent, Wipro has periodically modernized its campaigns to stay relevant to its target segment.
Commenting on the making of the TVC, Ms. Sonia Bhatnagar, Sr. Vice President and Executive Creative Director, ADK Fortune Communications, said, “The key strength of Santoor has been the uniformity in communicating the core proposition of younger looking skin while refreshing the context and reflecting the aspirations of the new Indian woman. Varun’s youth appeal, Mahesh Babu’s popularity and Karthi’s versatility make them the apt choices to reach potential consumers in their local languages.”
Launched in 1985 as a natural ingredient soap, Santoor is packed with the natural goodness of Sandal and Turmeric. Over the years the brand has grown from a single soap brand to soap variants, talcum powder, deodorants, liquid soap, handwash, facewash and so on and has been constantly launching new brand variants and new products in tune with market demands and needs. Santoor remains as one of the most aggressive personal care brands in India.
Digital
OpenAI’s Stargate lead Peter Hoeschele exits with two senior leaders
Trio behind compute push set to join new startup amid leadership reshuffle
SAN FRANCISCO: Peter Hoeschele, a key figure behind OpenAI’s early Stargate data centre initiative, has exited the company, according to a report by The Information.
The departure is part of a broader leadership shift, with two other senior executives, Shamez Hemani and Anuj Saharan, also set to leave in the coming days. All three are expected to join the same new startup, although details about the venture remain under wraps.
The trio played a central role in OpenAI’s Stargate effort, an initiative aimed at building large-scale data centre capacity in-house to reduce reliance on external infrastructure providers. Their exits mark a notable moment for the company’s compute strategy as it continues to scale rapidly.
OpenAI spokesperson said in a statement to The Information, “We’re grateful for the contributions Peter, Shamez, and Anuj have made to OpenAI and wish them the very best in what comes next.” The company also pointed to the recent appointment of Sachin Katti to lead its industrial compute organisation, signalling continuity in its infrastructure roadmap.
OpenAI has indicated that it does not plan to directly replace Hoeschele’s role, suggesting a possible restructuring of responsibilities within the team.
As competition intensifies in the race to build next-generation AI systems, leadership changes in core infrastructure teams are likely to draw close attention. For now, the spotlight shifts to what this departing trio builds next, and how OpenAI adapts as it scales its ambitions.
