MAM
WPP buys stake in motorsports marketing company
MUMBAI: Two months after forming a joint venture with IMG Worldwide, WPP is again propelling its sports-marketing capabilities.
WPP, the world‘s largest communications services group, has made a strategic investment in a motorsports marketing company, Just Marketing International (JMI).
WPP also owns a London-based sports-marketing firm Prism, and may look at other deals in the sector down the road.
JMI represents a broad portfolio of global brands with an established presence in all key international series, including Formula 1, NASCAR, IndyCar, The World Rally Championship and the major sportscar categories.
The financial details of the agreement are unknown, but Just Marketing has been valued at $100 million.
According to an official communiqué, the investment represents a strategic affiliation by both parties to leverage expertise and elevate client insights and solutions. JMI will have access to WPP‘s global network while providing a direct route for WPP clients to be introduced to motorsports.
Spire Capital, which took a majority stake in JMI in 2008, remains the principal shareholder and Brown the second largest shareholder. WPP takes a minority equity stake and has representation on the board of JMI, with the Credit Suisse Customised Fund Investment Group completing the shareholder group.
JMI CEO Zak Brown commented, “I am thrilled with WPP‘s investment in JMI. It represents a significant development for the company and an endorsement of our expertise from the biggest global player in the industry. The benefits to JMI, its people and most importantly our clients, will be substantial and I am excited by the potential of this alliance.”
WPP Director of Corporate Development Andrew Scott added: “We are strong believers in the marketing power of international motorsports for global brands. JMI is a leading company in the sector so this investment is a natural fit for WPP and will help to offer our clients exciting new opportunities in the field of motorsports.”
Last year, WPP reported revenue of $14.8 billion. The company has 146,000 employees in 2,400 offices.
WPP owns a number of the world‘s best known and most powerful advertising, public relations and market research networks, including Grey, Burson-Marsteller, Hill & Knowlton, JWT, Ogilvy Group, TNS and Young & Rubicam.
According to company officials, WPP handles $70 billion in advertising annually and does business with 340 of the companies on the Fortune 500 list.
Digital
India leads global adoption of ChatGPT Images 2.0 in first week
From anime avatars to fantasy covers, users turn AI visuals into culture
NEW DELHI: India has emerged as the largest user base for ChatGPT Images 2.0, just a week after its launch by OpenAI, underlining the country’s growing influence on global internet trends.
While the tool was introduced as an advanced image-generation upgrade within ChatGPT, Indian users are quickly reshaping its purpose. Instead of sticking to productivity-led use cases, many are embracing it as a creative playground for self-expression, storytelling and online identity.
From anime-style portraits and cinematic headshots to tarot-inspired visuals and fictional newspaper front pages, the model is being used to create highly stylised, shareable content. Features such as accurate text rendering, multilingual prompts and the ability to generate detailed visuals with minimal input have helped drive rapid adoption.
What sets the latest model apart is its ability to “think” through prompts, generating multiple outputs and adapting to context, including real-time web inputs. But the bigger story lies in how users are engaging with it.
In India, trends are already taking shape. Popular formats include dramatic studio-style lighting edits, LinkedIn-ready headshots, manga-inspired avatars, soft pastel “spring” aesthetics, AI-led fashion moodboards, paparazzi-style visuals and fantasy newspaper covers. Users are also restoring old photographs, creating tarot-style imagery and experimenting with futuristic design concepts.
Local flavour is adding another layer. Prompts such as cinematic portrait collages and Y2K-inspired romantic edits are gaining traction, blending global aesthetics with distinctly Indian internet culture.
The surge reflects a broader shift in how AI tools are being used in the country, moving beyond utility to creativity. As younger users, creators and social media enthusiasts experiment with new visual formats, AI-generated imagery is increasingly becoming part of everyday digital expression.
If early trends hold, ChatGPT Images 2.0 may not just be a tech upgrade but a cultural moment, giving millions a new visual language to play with online.
