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This Durga Puja festival, Nivea India brings a unique brand campaign to the city of Kolkata
MUMBAI: The festive season is upon us with the sound of music and dance celebrated across the state of West Bengal with Durga Puja. Keeping the festivities alive, one of the most revered skin-care brands Nivea India introduced an innovative brand activation wherein the brand is giving free Club Invitee passes to two popular puja pandals with the purchase of any Nivea product.
One of the greatest festivals of the Bengali community, Durga Puja brings together immense fanfare and festivities celebrated by every family. People from all age groups participate in this celebration by visiting the colorful pandals that are designed and decorated according to various themes. Taking cognizance of this, Nivea India brings a special Durga Puja offer through brand activations and consumer participation in keeping with the vivacity of the festival.
The activity planned by Nivea provides free Club Invitee passes at two popular Puja pandals – Singhi Park and College Square on the purchase of any Nivea product through its Beauty Advisor stores – Big Bazaar and Spencer Retail. While the campaign has been advertised on radio, it has also displayed strategic placements of branding assets like Arch Gates, Banners and kiosks at both these renowned locations visited by devotees in huge numbers.
Speaking on this occasion, Sachin Killawala, Director Marketing, NIVEA India said, “Durga Puja is a fine example of the rich cultural heritage and the spirit of the state. It is through festivals like these that enable us to do something more for our consumers and be able to connect with them on a more meaningful level. Nivea has constantly strived to innovate itself in reaching out to its consumers. This is a novel brand activation that resulted in excitement among our consumers. We hope this Durga Puja is a memorable one, bringing the festive cheer to all communities.”
MAM
Paramount set to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in $81 billion deal
Shareholders back merger, combined entity could reshape streaming and studios.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… consolidation, Hollywood’s latest blockbuster might be happening off-screen. Shareholders of Warner Bros. Discovery have voted in favour of selling the company to Paramount in a deal valued at $81 billion rising to nearly $111 billion including debt setting the stage for one of the biggest shake-ups in modern media. The proposed merger, still subject to regulatory approvals, would bring together a vast portfolio spanning HBO Max, CNN, and franchises such as Harry Potter under the same umbrella as Paramount’s own heavyweights, including Top Gun and CBS.
At the heart of the deal is streaming scale. Executives have indicated plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount+ into a single platform, potentially creating a stronger challenger to giants like Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video. Current market data suggests HBO Max holds around 12 per cent of US on-demand subscriptions, compared to Paramount+’s 3 per cent, together still trailing Netflix’s 19 per cent and Disney’s combined 27 per cent via Disney+ and Hulu.
Paramount CEO David Ellison has signalled that while platforms may merge, HBO’s creative identity will remain intact, stating the brand should “stay HBO” even within a broader ecosystem.
Beyond streaming, the deal would redraw the map for film production. Combining two of Hollywood’s oldest studios Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., the new entity aims to scale output to over 30 films annually, while maintaining a 45-day theatrical window. Warner Bros. currently commands around 21 per cent of the US box office, compared to Paramount’s 6 per cent, underscoring the strategic weight of the acquisition.
But scale comes with scrutiny. Critics warn that fewer players could mean reduced consumer choice, rising subscription costs, and potential job cuts as the combined company looks to streamline overlapping operations while managing billions in debt.
The news business, too, faces a reset. CNN would join forces at least structurally with Paramount-owned CBS, raising questions about editorial independence and positioning. The merger has already drawn political attention in the United States, particularly given perceived ties between the Ellison family and Donald Trump, though the company maintains that newsroom autonomy will be preserved.
If approved, the deal would mark another milestone in Hollywood’s consolidation wave shrinking the industry’s traditional “big six” studios to a “big four”, with Paramount joining Disney, Universal, and Sony at the top table.
In an industry built on storytelling, this merger may well become its most consequential plot twist yet.
