MAM
Will Pepsi blast leave rivals Blue?
MUMBAI: Beverage conglomerate PepsiCo has turned blue for next months cricket World Cup in South Africa and must be hoping that the move will leave the competition feeling blue in its wake. PepsiCo has launched the limited edition World Cup-Special Pepsi Blue in Mumbai. It will also launch a music video, album as well as a variety of promotions.
Pepsi is the third largest brand in the country in terms of consumer spend. A company release claims Pepsi Blue is a whole new beverage experience – an icy blue coloured cola with a refreshing taste.
Pepsi Blue is going to be backed by a multimedia communication package, which will be splashed across the telly, print media, radio, Internet, outdoor, point of sale merchandise and on-ground consumer promotions.
PepsiCo will soon launch two TV Commercials (TVCs) of 30-second duration each, which will communicate the “refreshingly cool” brand profile of Pepsi Blue. The campaign revolves around the idea that Blue is the colour of the Indian cricket team, Blue is the colour of the Indian fan’s passion and we all root for our Men in Blue!
Pepsi will also add a musical note to its World Cup campaigns with a specially composed, peppy number by pop crooner Adnan Sami. The music video of the three-minute song, titled O Ye O, is a record of sorts as it brings together a host of film stars, popular cricketers and common cricket fans.
The video, which is being premiered on Max, features Pepsi brand ambassadors including the Big B, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid .The video will also be the lead song in a music album, being released jointly by Pepsi and Sony Music. Pepsi is set to unleash an innovative consumer campaign during the World Cup, whereby fans can avail of the music album at a special discount.
Syed Usman of Pepsi’s ad agency J Walter Thompson has directed the video. The song is written by Soumitra Karnik, a senior creative director with the agency and set to tune by Adnan. The video, produced by Arjun Jadeja, has been shot on location in Delhi and Mumbai. The video will be subsequently aired on all music channels during the World Cup.
Pepsi also unveiled a promotion the Pepsi Predikta Jackpot! Pepsi will take the four finalists of the promotion for the World Cup Finals, who will then play for the Predikta Jackpot live on TV. The promotion will be telecast across the Sony network till the end of the World Cup. Cricket lovers can earn up to 500 bonus points by answering questions, which will be found only behind Pepsi labels and under Pepsi crowns. Consumers can participate through SMS or landlines. The highest scorer of Pepsi questions will get a direct entry into the final round.
In addition to all this Pepsi is set to launch the Sher Ke Mooh Mein Haath Dalo promo. Yet another consumer campaign Pepsi Piyega Toh Shikari Ban Jayega contest will also offer similar merchandise to guzzlers. Pepsi will put up outdoor and attractive shop signages and merchandising based on the World Cup theme across 2500 outlets across the country aimed at encouraging consumer participation in the promotions and contests. The roads in the cities and towns will also witness the specially designed Pepsi World Cup trucks, which will further add to the excitement.
MAM
One Hand Clap acquires Agenseed to enter distribution space
Creative agency expands into full-stack services with strategic buyout.
MUMBAI: One Hand Clap has decided to stop just clapping for great ideas now it wants to make sure they actually travel. The leading new-age creative agency and production house has acquired Agenseed, a seeding and distribution firm, marking its formal entry into the distribution segment. The move is aimed at expanding its role across the entire marketing value chain and unlocking new growth opportunities.
One Hand Clap expects the new distribution vertical to contribute up to 15 per cent of its overall revenues over the next 12–18 months, signalling a clear strategic shift beyond pure creative services.
Agenseed, founded by Monish Hardasani and Akram Malik, will function as the agency’s dedicated distribution arm. This acquisition strengthens One Hand Clap’s position as it aims to become a full-stack creative and distribution company in India’s rapidly growing digital advertising market.
With over 90 million posts shared daily on Instagram and brands allocating 25–35 per cent of their digital budgets to distribution and creator-led reach, amplification has become critical to campaign success. By integrating distribution early into the creative process, the agency hopes to help campaigns gain stronger cultural traction and momentum.
One Hand Clap founder Aakash Shah said, “The future of advertising is not just about executing great ideas, but about placing them intelligently. By owning both storytelling and distribution, we can drive greater impact for brands while opening up new revenue streams.”
Agenseed co-founder Monish Hardasani added, “The future belongs to ideas designed to travel. This partnership allows us to integrate distribution thinking at the source.”
Founded in 2019 by former AIB leaders Aakash Shah and Naveed Manakkodan, One Hand Clap has worked with major brands including Swiggy, Google, Netflix India, Crocs, Duolingo, CRED, Bumble, BGMI and Chetak. The agency also secured investment from Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath last year.
In an increasingly fragmented attention economy, this acquisition reflects a broader industry shift where agencies are building end-to-end capabilities to stay competitive. One Hand Clap is clearly clapping louder and ensuring its ideas now reach much further.
