MAM
Vivo’s new campaign #SwitchOff urges mobile users to cherish relationships
MUMBAI: In light of the changing human behavior due to excessive use of smartphones, vivo, the global innovative smartphone brand today announced a campaign- #SwitchOff with their brand ambassador, Aamir Khan. The digital campaign aims to encourage smartphone users in India to switch off from their mobile devices and spend quality time with family and friends.
As per a recent survey conducted by vivo and CMR, it was found that 75% of the respondents agreed to have owned a smartphone in their teens and of them, 41% were hooked to phones even before graduating from high school. From showcasing the benefits to the depth of addiction, the vivo ‘Smartphone and their impact on human relationships’ study tries to understand the behavioral changes pertaining to smartphone usage.
In an emotionally captured video starring Aamir Khan, vivo intends to showcase how smartphone users fail to interact with their surroundings due to continuous mobile usage. The recent vivo-CMR study “Smartphone and their impact on human relationships” revealed that more than 95% of smartphone users have only virtual conversations with friends and relatives/ meeting them perhaps once a month. The same study also highlights that more than half of all smartphone users have never tried to switch off from their social handles and profess to not being able to live without their phones. This showcases the extent to which mobile devices have impacted human lives.
Speaking on the need to #SwitchOff, vivo India director brand strategy Nipun Marya said, “We as a brand believe that technology can immensely improve our consumer’s life, but like all things good, should be used cautiously. And as a Smartphone player, it was essential we ask ourselves the fundamental questions, how much is too much? Thus we commissioned this campaign that urges users to temporarily switch off and give time to relationships."
"With smartphones becoming ubiquitous in our lives, the excessive usage of them is now impacting human behaviors and thus there is an urgent need to temporarily disconnect. While we all want to be connected with the world 24*7, it’s important to keep aside a few hours for our family, friends or just spend time doing what we enjoy apart from using the smartphones,” he added.
The campaign showcases how a child looks forward to spending time with his father but is not able to do so because the father is always occupied with his smartphone. Through a very subtle message, vivo aims to urge all smartphone users to switch off their devices and get connected with your immediate world by increasing human interactions.
Corroborating the idea shared through the campaign, Max Super Speciality Hospital Department of mental health & behavioral science director and head Dr. Sameer Malhotra said, “Over time, we have witnessed a steep surge in patients, suffering from multiple psychosomatic problems, majorly stemming from smartphone addiction. And because people are so hooked on their devices, their human interactions in terms of spending time with family or friends have reduced significantly. In the long run, this addiction can lead to loneliness and depression. As an immediate and essential cure, balanced usage and at times digital detox is a must for a person’s well-being.”
Brands
Dabur buys minority stake in Ras Beauty for Rs 60 crore
Dabur Ventures deal backs fast-growing luxury skincare brand
MUMBAI: Dabur India Limited has dipped into the world of luxury skincare, signing a definitive agreement to acquire a minority stake in Ras Beauty Private Limited for Rs 60 crore. The investment marks the first bet from Dabur Ventures, the FMCG major’s Rs 500 crore platform set up in October 2025 to back high-potential, new-age direct-to-consumer brands.
Founded in Raipur by Shubhika Jain, her sister Suramya Jain and their mother Sangeeta Jain, Ras Beauty has grown from a family-led passion project into a fast-scaling “Farm-to-Face” skincare label. Its range of face elixirs, serums and moisturisers blends essential oils with nature-derived actives, striking a balance between botanical purity and laboratory precision.
The numbers tell their own story. Ras has clocked a three-year Cagr of around 75 per cent and an annual run rate of approximately Rs 100 crore, all while maintaining strong gross margins. That growth has been fuelled by a digital-first approach, in-house R&D and manufacturing, and a sharp focus on clean, sustainable sourcing.
Dabur India executive director and group head corporate strategy Abhinav Dhall, said the company was drawn to Ras’s distinct positioning at the intersection of nature, science and luxury. He added that the premium beauty segment is poised for robust expansion over the coming decade, and that Ras is well placed to capture that opportunity.
For Ras, the partnership is as much about scale as it is about shared philosophy. Co-founder and CEO Shubhika Jain said Dabur’s 141-year legacy of building trusted, purpose-led brands makes it a natural ally. The capital infusion, she noted, will help accelerate the brand’s omnichannel footprint, deepen research capabilities and invest in team and brand building, with an eye on establishing Ras as a leading Indian luxury skincare name both domestically and overseas.
With this move, Dabur is not just investing in a skincare label. It is placing an early wager on India’s growing appetite for premium, conscious beauty, and signalling that heritage FMCG players are ready to play in the new-age D2C arena.
