Brands
Vodafone’s Friendship Day video: Keep relationships real
MUMBAI: Millennials today across the world are obsessed with their smartphones and are getting more dependent on their devices and the internet by the day. This has led to a new phenomenon called phubbing which has become rampant in our everyday lives. Phubbing is the term used to describe the habit of snubbing someone in favour of a mobile phone. Knowing or unknowingly most people today choose to look into their phones even as they sit across the table from someone.
“Relationships have moved from being warm and personal to being online and distant. While one can argue that the internet brings the world together, it also is making people grow more apart. As a brand which is a partner to one’s relationships, we wanted to take a relevant stand against Phubbing and ask the youth to indulge in real conversations with each other”, shares Ogilvy India EVP Hirol Gandhi.
Research and data on India embracing feature phones and social media usage is erupting everywhere. A recent study by Kantar, IMRB and MMA on the feature phone usage in India indicated that people in India spend about three hours a day on the phone. “In our Friendship Day film, we chose to showcase the youth and their relationship with the internet and social media, and how they are today sub consciously choosing to ignore the connections that can be made offline while enhancing their connections online. It really is a representation of a lot of us,” shared Ogilvy India ECD Kiran Anthony.
From the launch of the #LookUp movement around Valentine’s Day, to building momentum on Father’s Day and now releasing the 3rd story on Friendship Day, the LookUp movement is gathering huge applause. “The LookUp campaign has struck a chord among millions of Indians – with over 50 Million Video Views, 80,000 conversations, almost 260,000 people engaged & industry best Video View Completion rates, the #LookUp movement in only growing from strength to strength, and continues to inspire the Youth & grow brand love for Vodafone,” concluded Vodafone India EVP – Marketing Siddharth Banerjee.
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.
