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Taproot Dentsu appoints Bashir as VP
MUMBAI: Taproot Dentsu, the creative and communication agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, has strengthened its planning prowess with the appointment of Farah Bashir as Vice President, Strategic Planning. She will be based out of Taproot Dentsu’s Gurgaon office, and will work closely with Anand Murty – head of planning at Taproot Dentsu, to ensure that stellar creative and deep insightful thinking go hand-in-hand to create the best work possible for all clients.
Prior to joining Taproot Dentsu, Farah was the general manager – planning at Cheil India, where she helped lead the Insights division.
Armed with more than 13 years of experience, Farah has worked as a journalist with Reuters, as a marketing professional with Unilever Asia (across India, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia and Brazil), as a research analyst with Quantum Market Research and as a strategic planner with DDB Mudra and Lowe Lintas. She has worked on various brands including Samsung, Wills Lifestyle, OLX, Hindustan Times, Volini, Revital, Reckitt Benckiser, NDTV, Hindustan Times, MTS, Microsoft, Singapore Health Promotion Board (HPB), Singtel, Zopper, Twinings, Cisco, GPI and Dabur.
Commenting on her appointment, Taproot Dentsu CEO Umesh Shrikhande said, “Farah brings with her wonderfully eclectic influences and perspective, thus adding more power to our ability to think different.”
“Strategic planning can help inform the creation of powerful, motivating work that Taproot is known for and also provide clear, incisive counsel to clients with respect to the brand and business challenges they face. Farah’s track record and skill set is an asset to our team and we look forward to an exciting year ahead,” said Murty.
Speaking on joining Taproot Dentsu, Farah said, “Taproot Dentsu, well-known as the creative powerhouse, is equally focused on the rigour and thinking on brands that it works on. Very rarely does the archetype of a planner and agency converge.”
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.
