MAM
WPP Commerce 2022 India returns after 3 years to be held in Mumbai
Mumbai: After a three-year hiatus, WPP has announced that it will host its WPP Commerce event on 16 November 2022, at the St. Regis Mumbai to showcase its holistic e-commerce offering through a series of keynotes and workshops.
Speaking of the event, WPP India country manager CVL Srinivas said, “In light of the rapid growth of e-commerce, as well as the digitisation of services that resulted from the pandemic, companies have increased their demand for agile, full-service partners that can service their needs for omnichannel commerce and business transformation experts. WPP Commerce will offer deep insights into this ever-evolving commerce landscape. We are looking forward to offering our WPP companies, clients, and partners insights into this ever-evolving landscape at WPP Commerce – we are glad to be back.”
WPP Commerce will present a host of experts that will offer both deep and broad perspectives on today’s commerce realities and how they drive future trends; the roles of user-interface, user experience, and content in commerce; shopper-targeted and direct-to-consumer marketing; measurement and analytics, as well as consumer insights.
GroupM South Asia president of growth and transformation Tushar Vyas stated, “WPP Commerce is an amazing platform to understand how market priorities are changing the commerce landscape and taking centre stage for brands. As eCommerce accelerates, customers increasingly buy directly from brands, with social media playing a vital role in this commerce journey. As such, having a fully managed service with omnichannel expertise has become essential. The spotlight of this event will be the acceleration of the eCommerce ecosystem, with technology and innovation being growth drivers for commerce. This year, we look forward to diving deeper into the commerce ecosystem through sessions and workshops led by our WPP agencies, clients, and partners.”
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.
