MAM
WARC 100 declares Mullen Lowe Lintas as top creative agency
Mumbai: Annual ranking of the world’s 100 best campaigns and companies based on their performance in effectiveness and strategy competitions, The WARC 100, has named MullenLowe Lintas Group, India the Top Creative Agency in the World.
The agency is the first to claim the number one position as Top Creative Agency in the World for two consecutive years. Following at number two is Droga5, NYC with Ogilvy, NYC being ranked number three. Additionally, the MullenLowe Group global network has retained its 4th place position as Top Creative Network for the second year in a row.
The WARC 100 study focuses on marketing that makes a difference, driving business performance or changing consumer behaviour, and the rankings are compiled from over 2,200 winning campaigns from 87 different global competitions.
Commenting on the achievement, MullenLowe Lintas Group Group CEO Joseph George said, “2015 was a milestone year for the agency with over 60 awards for creative effectiveness alone. This year too began well for us, being declared the Agency of the Year at Effies India in January. And now this WARC 100 recognition 2 years in a row further demonstrates the primacy of delivering ROI for our clients as our singular pursuit, as indeed in our belief in the type of work we want to deliver for our clients.”
Adding to its list of achievements, of the three campaigns that have been selected from India in the top 20, two of them were from MullenLowe Lintas Group. ‘Kan Khajura Tesan’, which was ranked number one last year remained in the rankings at number nine this year while Idea Cellular’s campaign ‘No Ullu Banaoing’ was ranked number 17. Havells Appliances ‘Respect Women’ also managed to find a place in the table as it was ranked number 25 in the list.
The above recognition builds on the recent success that has been witnessed by MullenLowe Lintas Group which has a host of accolades against its name including Agency of the Year 2015 by Effie India, the Most Effective Agency in APAC by Effie Effectiveness Index, The Agency of the Year – AMES 2015, The Agency of the Year – U&AP Awards 2015, Runner-up International Agency of the Year by Ad Age and also put up India’s best ever performance at the Jay Chiat Awards twice in two years.
Brands
Kwality Wall’s reports standalone losses following strategic HUL demerger
Ice cream major faces Rs 64 crore Ebitda loss amid commodity inflation and muted Q3 sales
MUMBAI: Kwality Wall’s (India) Limited (KWIL) has released its first set of financial results as a standalone entity, revealing a challenging start to its independent journey. Following its successful demerger from Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) on 1st December 2025 and its subsequent listing on 16th February 2026, the company is navigating a transition period marked by structural changes and high input costs.
For the quarter ended 31st December 2025, the company reported revenue of Rs 222 crores. Despite the revenue base, the bottom line was impacted by several factors, resulting in an Ebitda loss of Rs 64.2 crores. When calculated on a Pre-IND AS 116 basis, the Ebitda loss stood at Rs 83.8 crores.
Organic Sales Growth (OSG) declined by 6.5 per cent year-on-year during the quarter. Volume growth, however, saw a marginal increase of 1.2 per cent. The company reported a gross margin of 41.5 per cent. Additionally, exceptional expenses amounting to Rs 94 crores were recorded, primarily linked to non-recurring costs during the transition phase.
Performance across portfolios and channels was mixed. Within the impulse portfolio, brands such as Magnum and Cornetto recorded mid-single digit volume growth, indicating steady demand in on-the-go consumption. However, the in-home portfolio, which includes take-home packs, experienced muted consumption. The company is planning a relaunch of this category with improved offerings ahead of the 2026 season.
Quick commerce (Q-Com) continued to emerge as a strong growth driver, delivering robust double-digit growth during the quarter. Meanwhile, the company also expanded its physical distribution network by increasing the number of company-owned cabinets across markets.
Margin pressure during the quarter was driven by a combination of one-off factors and broader cost inflation. Gross margins were impacted by around 600 basis points due to trade investments made for stock liquidation. Additionally, cocoa price inflation contributed to another 400 basis points of pressure on margins.
Deputy managing director Chitrank Goel attributed the muted performance partly to prolonged monsoons and transitional challenges linked to the GST framework. Operating expenses also increased as the company invested in establishing its standalone supply chain, operational systems and corporate infrastructure following the demerger.
Looking ahead, the management remains focused on a volume-driven growth strategy. To restore profitability, the company has initiated a cost productivity programme aimed at reducing non-consumer-facing costs. It is also working on building regional manufacturing networks to optimise logistics expenses and improve operational efficiency.
The commodity outlook for the near term remains mixed. Dairy prices are expected to remain firm due to tight supply conditions and rising fodder costs. Sugar prices may also move higher following increases in the Minimum Selling Price (MSP). While cocoa prices have moderated recently, currency depreciation has offset some of the potential cost relief for the company.
