MAM
Srinivas appointed managing director, LiquidThread APAC & chairman SMG India
MUMBAI: Starcom MediaVest Group has appointed CVL Srinivas as MD of LiquidThread APAC and Chairman of Starcom MediaVest Group, India.
Based in New Delhi, Srinivas will take charge with effect from 5 January.
Srinivas will report to SMG president, global operations Andrew Swinand and LiquidThread, SMG president and managing director Brian Terkelsen. He will also work closely with Srikant Sastri, Country Chair, VivaKi India and will be a member of the SMG global management group.
Said Andrew Swinand, “We are delighted to have found an extraordinary leader for SMG India and for our growing LiquidThread operations in APAC. Srini brings with him nearly two decades of business experience and we are excited about him being part of the SMG family. We are confident that he will make a strategic difference to our India business and drive the Human Experience Company philosophy.”
On his new role, Srinivas said, “SMG‘s promise to be the Human Experience Company is fascinating and future-focused. I look forward to working closely with the teams at LiquidThread and SMG to translate this vision into tangible value for our clients”.
Earlier Srinivas has worked in agencies such as Madison Media and Maxus. His latest assignment was at The Times Group as Director, Private Treaties.
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.
