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Westin sponsors ace golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar
MUMBAI: Westin Hotels and Resorts, part of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, will be the official sponsor for Indian professional golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar. The sponsorship follows the Westin and SPG sponsorship of the Delhi Daredevils Team during IPL 2011.
As part of the agreement, the golfer will wear the Westin logo on his T-shirt at all the events he participates in this year, and will also be a part of Westin’s promotional campaigns. He will make appearances at Starwood hotels throughout the year on behalf of Westin and Starwood’s award-winning loyalty programme, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG). Through the SPG MomentsSM programme, which gives members access to unique experiences, Starwood Preferred Guest members can bid StarpointsSM to participate in exclusive golf clinics led by Gaganjeet Bhullar.
Westin Hotels & Resorts global brand leader Brian Povinelli said, “Our sponsorship of Gaganjeet Bhullar highlights our emphasis on promoting a healthy and active lifestyle in a way that will resonate with Westin loyalists and attract new travelers and golf enthusiasts to the brand. A long-time fan of Westin, Bhullar credits the brand’s wellness programming with helping him perform at his best. We are thrilled to sponsor him as he kicks off a new year of world-class golf tournaments and ensure he is prepared to excel on the course when staying at our hotels.”
Bhullar said, “I am excited to become part of the Westin family and am truly a long-time fan of the brand. I have stayed at Westin hotels all over the world and I credit the brand’s Heavenly Bed and Westin Workout with helping me perform at my absolute best while on the road.”
Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels & Resorts Managing Director India and Regional Vice President South Asia Dilip Puri said, “We are extremely proud to be a sponsor of Gaganjeet and do believe he has immense potential to emerge as a name to reckon with on the global Golf scene. Our association with him is about building a deeper relationship with our guests. We want to offer our guests exclusive experiences that they are most passionate about. And through our collaboration with Bhullar, our guests can connect with the elements of well being that help them to stay committed to being well and drive them to maintain the success they have worked so hard to get.”
Twenty-five year-old Gaganjeet Bhullar is currently the youngest Indian professional golfer to be ranked in the World’s Top 100. Born in Kapurthala, Punjab, Bhullar turned professional in 2006. In 2009, Bhullar finished second in the SAIL Open tournament in India as part of the Asian Tour and finished 5th at the Black Mountain Masters. In 2009, Bhullar had his first victory on the Asian Tour at the Indonesian President Invitational. Gaganjeet, known for consistently playing at the top level, is the first Indian golfer to win the Venetian Macau Open. His recent wins at Macau and Taipei reinforce his Asian Tour performance.
MAM
Barista partners Ginny Weds Sunny 2 with mango campaign
Cafe chain blends cinema buzz with summer menu and 20 per cent offer.
MUMBAI: Love may brew slowly, but marketing clearly doesn’t especially when coffee meets cinema and mangoes steal the spotlight. Barista Coffee Company has partnered with the upcoming hindi film Ginny Weds Sunny 2 as its official beverage partner, in a move aimed at tapping into youth culture through entertainment-led engagement. The collaboration is not just a logo placement exercise. Instead, Barista is translating the film’s high-energy vibe into its cafés with a themed summer menu titled “Main Hoon Mango”, accompanied by a limited-period 20 per cent discount on combo offerings across outlets.
Actors Medha Shankr and Avinash Tiwary feature in the campaign, seen engaging with the mango-themed menu inside Barista cafés, a visual cue designed to blur the lines between reel and real-life consumption moments.
The strategy reflects a broader shift in how consumer brands are leveraging hindi film industry not just for visibility, but for immersive, on-ground engagement. By embedding the film’s narrative into its product experience, Barista is aiming to drive footfall, especially among younger audiences who increasingly seek experiential touchpoints over traditional advertising.
Barista Coffee Company CEO Rajat Agrawal described the partnership as both a branding and growth play, focused on expanding reach beyond the existing customer base and aligning with evolving consumer preferences.
The emphasis on a seasonal, flavour-led hook mango, one of India’s most culturally resonant ingredients adds a timely layer to the campaign, aligning with summer consumption trends while riding on the film’s promotional momentum.
For Barista, the move is part of a larger positioning shift. Rather than operating purely as a coffee retail chain, the brand is increasingly framing itself as a lifestyle destination, one that intersects with entertainment, conversation and shared experiences. By integrating cinema into its physical spaces, Barista is effectively turning cafés into micro-extensions of the film’s universe, where consumers do not just watch a story unfold but participate in it sip by sip.
The 20 per cent offer further nudges trial, lowering the barrier for consumers to engage with the themed menu while amplifying recall through a tangible incentive.
Brand-film collaborations are hardly new, but their execution is evolving. Where earlier partnerships relied on co-branded ads or product placements, the current playbook leans towards immersive storytelling and retail integration.
In that sense, Barista’s “Main Hoon Mango” push is less about promotion and more about participation inviting consumers to experience a slice of the film within a familiar, everyday setting. As the film industry continues to act as a cultural amplifier, such partnerships underline a growing truth, in today’s attention economy, it is not enough to be seen brands must be experienced.
And if that experience comes with a mango twist and a cinematic backdrop, all the better.
