MAM
Starcom CEO Mallikarjun Das quits
MUMBAI: After leading Starcom India through an era of strong growth and rapid transformation, Group CEO Mallikarjun Das has decided to move on from the organisation. Das had joined Starcom India as CEO in 2011.
The agency will be making an announcement shortly on new leadership for Starcom India.
“Working at Starcom over the last seven years has been a peak experience–it has left an indelible impression on me and shaped me as a professional and individual,” Das said.
In a career spanning 20 years, Das has donned several hats. Prior to Starcom, he was COO, Madison Media Infinity.
He added, “Wisdom of hindsight is a dangerous thing, but I count myself lucky to have had large, complex business challenges come my way in this stint. I have had the full support of my team, Anupriya and my previous bosses in facing up to these challenges. Our results speak for themselves – Starcom India has grown four times the last 4 years; our India operations ended 2017 as Starcom’s Global Office of the year. I wish everyone at Starcom and Publicis Media all the best for the future.”
Publicis Media India Group CEO Anupriya Acharya said, “We are going to miss Das. His tenure at Starcom has been exemplary and working with him has been a wonderful experience. Starcom has had a phenomenal journey under his leadership and he has made a tremendous contribution to giving a strong foundation to Publicis Media too. Our best wishes are with him for his next assignment.”
In a previous stint, Das has been a simulations modeler with Tata Interactive Systems where he headed the modelling practice in building simulations and games. He has worked as the Head on the P&G Planning AOR at Starcom and spent 3 years at Asian Paints as Head of Media, Market Research, Activation & PR.
Das holds a Graduate Degree in Statistics & is a Post Graduate in Management from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Bangalore.
MAM
Dinshaw’s launches 3x chocolate cone with ‘Dildaari’ campaign
Vinod Kambli fronts summer push built around richer final bite.
MUMBAI: The sweetest part of an ice cream may no longer be the first lick, it is now the last word. Dinshaw’s is rewriting the rules of cone indulgence with its new ‘Dildaari’ campaign, built around a simple twist: three times more solid chocolate at the tip.
At the centre of the launch is a familiar consumer truth, the final bite of a cone is often the most anticipated. Dinshaw’s is leaning into that moment, turning it into the hero by amplifying the chocolate layer at the bottom, effectively repositioning the end of the cone as the highlight of the experience.
The campaign is fronted by former Indian cricketer Vinod Kambli, whose personal journey lends an emotional undertone to the storytelling. Built around the line “Jinko life mein thoda kam mila, unke liye thoda zyada”, the narrative blends nostalgia with generosity, framing the product upgrade as more than just a feature, it is a gesture.
Timed for peak summer and the ongoing cricket season, the campaign taps into moments of heightened consumption and sentiment, where small indulgences carry outsized emotional value.
The new range features nine flavours Badam Roasted, Butterscotch, Caramel Dolce, Choco Chip, Chocolate Brownie, Chocolate Ganache, Cookies n Cream, Mississippi Dark and Mocha Black and White each designed to complement the enhanced chocolate finish.
Conceptualised by Womb, the campaign pivots away from functional messaging to a more human insight: that sometimes, the smallest additions can make the biggest difference.
As brands continue to hunt for differentiation in a crowded category, Dinshaw’s bet is clear, if you cannot change the whole cone, make the last bite unforgettable.
