MAM
Testing Times: Zee-Bhaskar seek damages over media campaign
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: After reporting news, media companies are making news. Literally.
The Subhash Chandra-promoted Essel group and Bhopal-based Bhaskar group have dragged the big daddy of news paper business, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd, publishers of Times of India and Economic Times, to court over breach of copyright laws relating to a media campaign and sought Rs. 1,000 million in damages, apart from an apology.
The civil suit, filed by the Essel-Bhaskar combine through Diligent Media in Mumbai high court, was heard today.
The petitioner has claimed that its advertisement campaign for a proposed print medium product — `SPEAK UP, ITS IN YOUR DNA (Daily News and Analysis)’; was “hijacked” by the Times of India group to suit a campaign for Maharashtra Times, a publication of the Times group. It has also been stated that the action of the rival amounted to infringement of copyright laws with a view to derive “unfair business advantage.”
When contacted, Essel Group vice-president Ashish Kaul said, “It certainly was disappointing to see a group of repute indulge in unfair practices.”
When contacted, The Times of India brand director Rahul Kansal says, “TOI has chosen not to comment on this issue for the time being until we formulate what we want to say in this matter.”
The matter came up for hearing today in the court of Justice D.G.Karnik. The counsel for the defendant (TOI group), while stating that the plaintiff had offered not to pursue any legal action through a letter dated 29 March if an unconditional apology is tendered, requested time till 4 April from the court to consider the offer.
According to information available the court heard both the sides and directed Bennett Coleman & Co Ltd not to issue any further advertisements similar or of the same nature as that of the plaintiff. The matter will be heard on Monday.
The Essel-Bhaskar combine, which had announced plans of launching Hindi and English newspapers, had plastered the whole of Mumbai with a teaser campaign that had a picture of a man with the tag line `Speak up, It’s in your DNA.’ Reportedly, the TOI group hurriedly unveiled a campaign, prepared late last week, for a regional newspaper and added the words `Maharashtra Times’ to the DNA tagline to read `Speak Up, it’s in your DNA— Maharashtra Times.’
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.
