MAM
Selva Prabu steps up as director content marketing Tamil
CHENNAI: Selva Prabu has pressed play on a new chapter in his career, taking charge as director, content marketing for Tamil business at JioStar, overseeing strategy for JioHotstar and Star Vijay. Based in Chennai, the role places him at the heart of one of India’s most competitive and culturally vibrant media markets.
Sharing the news, Prabu said he was excited about the road ahead, a sentiment that fits neatly with a career built on curiosity, reinvention and a keen understanding of audiences. His appointment marks a steady rise within the organisation, where he has spent the past four years shaping marketing initiatives and steering brand narratives.
Before stepping into the director’s chair in November 2025, Prabu served as senior manager, marketing at JioStar, where he worked across campaigns, partnerships and content positioning. His ability to blend data with instinct has made him a familiar name in media marketing circles.
Prabu’s professional story, however, began well before streaming platforms and television ratings dashboards. He cut his teeth in journalism-led organisations, notably Deccan Herald, where he worked as senior brand manager. There, he helped build product portfolios, sharpened reader insight frameworks and worked closely with editorial teams to ensure that business sense never drowned out storytelling.
An even longer chapter unfolded at The Hindu Group, where Prabu handled brands including BusinessLine, Sportstar, Frontline and The Hindu Lounge. His work ranged from relaunching legacy titles and creating brand events to setting up the group’s first experience store in Chennai. Notably, he played a role in expanding community-led initiatives and managing large-scale public campaigns, proving that marketing can be both commercial and civic-minded.
Earlier stints at Wan-Ifra, Ogilvy and Mphasis rounded out his profile, giving him exposure to training, consulting, client servicing and even technology-led quality assurance. It is an unusually broad foundation for someone now tasked with marketing entertainment, but perhaps that is the point.
As Tamil content continues to travel from living rooms to mobile screens, Prabu’s mix of newsroom discipline and brand-building flair may be just what the script calls for.
Brands
DeVANS sparks buzz with self-chilling beer can April Fools campaign
Godfather stunt racks up 7 million impressions, blending humour with hype
NEW DELHI: DeVANS Modern Breweries has stirred up the marketing pot with a playful yet high-impact campaign teasing a futuristic “self-chilling beer can” under its flagship Godfather label.
What began as a seemingly bold product innovation quickly turned into one of the most talked-about brand moments online, before being revealed as an April Fools’ Day prank. The reveal, however, did little to cool the buzz.
The campaign clocked over 7 million organic impressions across platforms including LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X, with users debating whether the concept was a genuine breakthrough or clever marketing theatre. Thousands of shares and comments turned the idea into a full-blown conversation, drawing in both consumers and industry insiders.
The hook was simple but effective. A self-chilling can positioned as an on-the-go convenience product tapped into the imagination of younger, urban audiences. Add the timing around April Fools’ Day, and the campaign struck the perfect balance between curiosity and scepticism, keeping audiences guessing.
Marketing experts have pointed to the campaign as a case study in leveraging cultural moments. By leaving just enough ambiguity, the brand invited audiences to participate rather than simply observe, turning passive viewers into active contributors to the narrative.
“Godfather has always been an iconic brand, but iconicity must evolve to stay meaningful,” said DeVANS Modern Breweries chairman and managing director Prem Dewan. “The ‘Self-Chilling Can’ was our way of showing up in a cultural moment with confidence and a sense of humour.”
Beyond the numbers, the campaign signals a broader repositioning for Godfather. Long seen as a legacy beer brand, it is now leaning into youth culture, digital-first storytelling and topical engagement to stay relevant in a crowded alcobev market.
In a space where attention is fleeting, DeVANS has shown that sometimes the coolest idea is the one that keeps people guessing.
