MAM
Vice, WPP sign multi-million dollar ad deal
MUMBAI: Vice and WPP’s media investment unit GroupM have signed a multimillion-dollar advertising deal that will take advantage of the millennial-focused media company’s international expansion.
Vice co-founder and CEO Shane Smith and WPP CEO Martin Sorrell said that they agreed that millennials were the future. They were under-serviced, and the companies had to create more content.
The particulars of the deal involve Vice working with GroupM to use Vice’s insights, content and data to build an advertising platform across all of Vice’s global multi-screen and over-the-top properties. The deal was announced at the Dmexco conference in Cologne, Germany.
The deal is worth hundreds of millions of dollars in ad spending, according to Smith. A Vice spokesperson later added it is a multi-year, multi territory deal.
GroupM handles over USD 102 billion in advertising billings, according to research company Recma. GroupM said it handles one out of three ads globally.
Sorrell said that there were some difficulties working with Google and Facebook, and that there’ was a need to find another force.
In June, Vice announced plans to expand its presence to 51 territories, including having a TV, mobile and digital presence in India and the Middle East and TV content throughout Africa.
It also will add a 24-hour TV channel in Australia and New Zealand, where it already has a robust digital and mobile presence. Vice’s U.S. cable channel Viceland launched in February 2016, and it’s nightly HBO news show is slated to begin on 10 October.
WPP at present has an 8.5 per cent stake in Vice. At one point, it owned up to one-tenth of the company but has since sold some shares. Source: cnbc.com
Brands
Big Bowl appoints Lyxel & Flamingo as social and media partner
QSR brand eyes next growth phase after crossing Rs 100 crore ARR milestone
MUMBAI: Big Bowl, one of India’s largest bowl-format quick service restaurant brands from Lenexis Foodworks, has appointed Lyxel & Flamingo (L&F) as its social and media partner as it prepares for its next phase of growth.
The partnership comes after the brand crossed the Rs 100 crore annual recurring revenue milestone in 2025 and aims to help accelerate its journey towards Rs 150 crore ARR in its fifth year since launch.
Big Bowl currently operates more than 250 kitchens across 50 cities and has emerged as a major player in India’s organised bowl-format food segment. Built around hearty portions and delivery-first convenience, the brand offers a wide mix of Indian, Chinese and fusion bowls designed for quick, affordable and portable consumption.
As urban consumers increasingly gravitate towards easy-to-carry and value-driven meal formats, the company sees the bowl category as a scalable format aligned with modern eating habits.
With the appointment of Lyxel & Flamingo, Big Bowl plans to consolidate its social media and digital media operations under a single partner. The move is intended to sharpen its digital reach, strengthen youth-focused storytelling and improve performance marketing outcomes.
Lyxel & Flamingo, one of India’s largest independent digital-first agencies, manages more than 350 brands and oversees advertising spends exceeding $100 million across its network.
Under the mandate, the agency will handle Big Bowl’s social media strategy, content development, digital performance marketing, media planning and buying, as well as campaign amplification across platforms.
Commenting on the partnership, Lenexis Foodworks founder and director Aayush Madhusudan Agrawal said, “Big Bowl has scaled rapidly to cross Rs 100 crore ARR and established itself as one of the largest bowl-format brands in the country. As a delivery-first, digitally native brand, our next phase of growth will be driven by sharper performance systems and stronger brand storytelling. Consolidating social and media with Lyxel & Flamingo allows us to integrate data, creativity and media precision as we scale towards our next revenue milestone.”
Lenexis Foodworks marketing head Vikas Iyer, added that the delivery-led category requires content, media and performance marketing to work closely together.
“With Lyxel & Flamingo, we aim to build a sharper social voice, stronger acquisition systems and measurable impact, ensuring the brand scales not just in presence but also in precision,” he said.
Lyxel & Flamingo chief executive officer Dev Batra, said the agency will combine data-driven marketing with creative storytelling to support Big Bowl’s growth. “Big Bowl brings the flavour, and L&F brings the fire. Our strategy combines data-led performance with engaging storytelling to help build a strong digital brand presence while delivering measurable business results,” he said.
With this partnership, Big Bowl is looking to strengthen its position as a digitally driven QSR brand, blending brand-building with performance marketing as it scales within India’s rapidly growing organised food delivery market.
