Brands
Vector Brand Solutions announces its operating leadership team
MUMBAI : Vector Brand Solutions on Tuesday announced its operating leadership and appointed Tushar Bhatia, Ripanka Kalita and Mandar Gore to lead business, creative and strategy respectively.
Earlier in November, Tilt Brand Solutions founder, chairman and MD Joseph (Joe) George had announced the launch of Vector – the group’s next brand & communications enterprise. “With the operating leadership of Vector now in place, I am certain that the vision and ambition for Vector, will be brought to fruition very soon,” stated George while speaking on Vector’s operating leadership team announcement. “With their pedigreed experience in delivering through- the-funnel results for clients, Vector will hopefully soon be the answer for all digital-first marketers. I am absolutely confident that the three of them will live and breathe every day, Vector’s operating philosophy of ‘Pace. Preference. Purpose. Performance.’”
Tushar Bhatia has joined Vector as a senior director – business, after his stint at Maple where he was the chief marketing officer leading the function. He has over 19 years of experience across advertising and marketing stints, across continents too. His prior experience includes leadership positions at Ogilvy Africa where he was the SPOC for Airtel Africa (19 countries), Barclays Bank, Coca Cola, Nestle, Barclays Bank and many more in Sub Saharan Africa. At Y&R Menacom, he was the lead for Nawras Telecommunications (QTEL) Bank Muscat and Khimji Lifestyle in Muscat Oman.
Over the years, Bhatia has also worked at Lowe Lintas and FCB Ulka where he partnered his clients on work for brands like Axis Bank, Canara Robeco MF, Indian Oil Corporation, Reliance Retail, ICICI Bank, Bisleri, Kansai Nerolac Paints, Ultratech Cements, and many more.
Ripanka Kalita has joined Vector director – creative. With over 17 years of experience across Mullen Lintas, Leo Burnett, McCann Erickson, Grey Worldwide and Infectious, Kalita has crafted distinct brand stories across categories and brands. Some of his stellar pieces of work have been seen on campaigns for brands like Pharmeasy, Motilal Oswal, Tata Cliq, Voot, Too Yumm!, Bajaj Avenger, Marico, Reliance Life Insurance, MTV Beats and many more. He has also picked up a number of metals during his career across Cannes, Kyoorius, and the Effies.
Mandar Gore has moved within the group as senior director – strategy. At Tilt Brand Solutions, he was leading strategy on brands like Licious, Livspace, 24 Mantra, The Pink Foundry, Groww, Swiggy to name a few. Gore had joined Tilt after over 16 years across advertising and brand consulting. In his earlier stints at FCB, Ogilvy and Sideways Consulting, he worked on brands like Bournvita, Kamasutra, Fosters, Amaron, Castrol, Mahindra & Mahindra and Pidilite, amongst others. His work on them has won him Indian as well as international effectiveness laurels at Effies India/APAC and AME.
Brands
DeVANS sparks buzz with self-chilling beer can April Fools campaign
Godfather stunt racks up 7 million impressions, blending humour with hype
NEW DELHI: DeVANS Modern Breweries has stirred up the marketing pot with a playful yet high-impact campaign teasing a futuristic “self-chilling beer can” under its flagship Godfather label.
What began as a seemingly bold product innovation quickly turned into one of the most talked-about brand moments online, before being revealed as an April Fools’ Day prank. The reveal, however, did little to cool the buzz.
The campaign clocked over 7 million organic impressions across platforms including LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X, with users debating whether the concept was a genuine breakthrough or clever marketing theatre. Thousands of shares and comments turned the idea into a full-blown conversation, drawing in both consumers and industry insiders.
The hook was simple but effective. A self-chilling can positioned as an on-the-go convenience product tapped into the imagination of younger, urban audiences. Add the timing around April Fools’ Day, and the campaign struck the perfect balance between curiosity and scepticism, keeping audiences guessing.
Marketing experts have pointed to the campaign as a case study in leveraging cultural moments. By leaving just enough ambiguity, the brand invited audiences to participate rather than simply observe, turning passive viewers into active contributors to the narrative.
“Godfather has always been an iconic brand, but iconicity must evolve to stay meaningful,” said DeVANS Modern Breweries chairman and managing director Prem Dewan. “The ‘Self-Chilling Can’ was our way of showing up in a cultural moment with confidence and a sense of humour.”
Beyond the numbers, the campaign signals a broader repositioning for Godfather. Long seen as a legacy beer brand, it is now leaning into youth culture, digital-first storytelling and topical engagement to stay relevant in a crowded alcobev market.
In a space where attention is fleeting, DeVANS has shown that sometimes the coolest idea is the one that keeps people guessing.
