MAM
Shop 24 Seven to introduce real time interactivity before week is out
Shop 24 Seven, the media commerce venture of the Hinduja Group’s convergence arm HTMT and US-based Planet E-Shop, is about to bring in more interactivity into the channel.
It will be introducing a live phone facility for prospective buyers before the week is out, says Eric Mausolf, CEO, Shop 24 Seven. Mausolf said the channel would be screening callers before putting them through to prevent crank calls. The system was still being fine tuned but at the basic level, a caller who has made a purchase before would immediately be cleared, Mausolf said.
Live content on the channel is currently at six hours a day, five days a week, in a tapeless format, Mausolf said. Elaborating on the reasons for the live element in the show, he said that the effort was to bring the product as close to the customer as possible. “We’re here to show real people showing real products,” he said.
Mausolf said once the channel has established itself, the live content would be gradually increased from the present six hours to eight, 10 and finally capped at 12 hours.
Asked to comment on how far the channel had progressed since its launch in the beginning of November 2001, Mausolf said the channel was still in what he termed the pre-operative stage. “Our focus has primarily been Mumbai, which is our test ground,” Mausolf said, adding that he expected the channel to be ready for a countrywide push by May or June.
Commenting on growth in terms of actual sales, Mausolf while offering no actual numbers, said it had settled to about a nine per cent growth month-on-month. He however pointed out that, comparing December sales figures with November, a five fold-jump was seen. January saw a two-fold jump over December and since then it has levelled off at the present level, he said.
Queried as to what would be offered to other MSOs as an incentive for carrying the channel, Mausolf said it was essentially a revenue sharing model that was being proposed. The MSO would be offered 10 per cent of sales revenues. The main goal on that front was to increase carriage and get the channel on a good band, Mausolf said.
Another aspect of the Shop 24 Seven rollout plan is the franchise point-of’-presence outlets which will be used to push the products. Mauser said that five such outlets were already up and running in Mumbai (Marine Lines, Lamington Road, Borivali) and adjoining Thane district (Thane, Badlapur). Another 10 locations are in the process of getting finalised in Maharashtra. He clarified that these were not exclusive Shop 24 Seven outlets. What has been done is that floor space has been taken up in the five outlets and it is the retailers themselves that decide the inventory on display.
As for viewer profile, Mausolf said the target was primarily housewives. As far as buying patterns are concerned, 45 per cent of sales are being recorded in the 1 pm to 4 pm and 7 pm to 10 pm bands, he said. Mumbai accounts for over 80 per cent of these sales, he added.
MAM
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.
