MAM
Yakult Danone India launches Yakult Light Mango Flavor
Mumbai: Yakult Danone India Pvt Ltd, a globally renowned probiotic brand, has announced today that it is expanding its product portfolio by introducing a new variant – Yakult Light Mango Flavour, on 25 July 2024. The launch event was graced by Bollywood star Sanya Malhotra, Mr Takashi Ariyoshi, Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Japan in India, Mr Eiji Amano, Managing Director of Yakult Danone India Pvt Ltd, and Dr Neerja Hajela, Head – Science and Regulatory Affairs of Yakult Danone India Pvt Ltd.
Yakult Light Mango Flavour is a sister product of the signature Yakult. The new product contains the same unique probiotic, Lactobacillus casei Shirota (SHIROTA strain), in the same amount of 650 crores as the original and flagship Yakult. The original probiotic drink was invented by a Japanese medical doctor called Dr Minoru Shirota and was designed to take in the human-friendly bacterium that could reach the gut alive and impart tremendous health benefits. Saddened by the death of children caused by infections due to inadequate hygiene and poverty in Japan in the early 1900s, he emphasised on preventing diseases with the power of probiotics rather than curing diseases and infections after they occur. He embodied his ideal by launching the SHIROTA strain as a food in the market so that as many people as possible could get the benefit of the probiotic bacterium while enjoying the delicious taste. Through more than 90 years of research, the SHIROTA strain has been scientifically proven to help improve digestion and build immunity when consumed regularly. Based on Dr Shirota’s philosophy, the Yakult company in India came to launch Yakult Light Mango Flavour, a national-favourite-fruit-taste product, to contribute to the health of more people in India.
The retail price of Yakult Light Mango Flavour is Rs. 100/—for a pack of 5 bottles, which will be available at retail outlets in 28 states and 5 union territories from 25 July 2024 onwards. Also, Yakult has a unique home delivery sales channel, where nearly 300 ‘Yakult Ladies’ deliver the products to the customers’ doorstep in Delhi NCR, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Mumbai, and Pune. Yakult products, including Yakult Light Mango Flavour, are also available through e-commerce.
Speaking about the launch of Yakult Light Mango Flavour, Yakult Danone India Pvt Ltd managing director Eiji Amano said, “At Yakult, our core philosophy is to enhance the gut health of consumers worldwide using our unique probiotic strain “Lactobacillus casei SHIROTA strain”. With over 2 lakh bottles of Yakult consumed daily in India, we have become a household name, enjoyed by many families as part of their daily routine. With the launch of Yakult Light Mango Flavour, we are expanding our product portfolio to cater to the tastes and preferences of Indian consumers. This new variant maintains the same health benefits as our classic Yakult while introducing a delightful mango flavour that is widely loved. We believe this addition will appeal to our consumers who relish mango taste.”
Taking centre stage at the launch, Bollywood actress Sanya Malhotra said, “I am super excited to be a part of this exciting launch. There is great concern about the increasing rise in lifestyle disorders due to erratic lifestyles, poor nutrition, stress, lack of adequate sleep, pollution and generally poor gut health. I take my daily dose of probiotics to keep my gut healthy, and Yakult has been an integral part of my diet for a long time now. Today, I am pleased that the company has introduced Yakult Light Mango Flavour, which tastes delicious and refreshing. I am sure it will be a favourite among all mango and Yakult lovers.”
Yakult Danone India Pvt Ltd head of science and regulatory affairs Dr Neerja Hajela added that Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota (SHIROTA strain) is unique to Yakult, and is backed by more than 100 human studies conducted across the globe, including India. Probiotics are essential as they increase the good bacteria in the gut and reduce the harmful disease-causing bacteria. By doing so, they ensure better digestion of food, proper absorption of nutrients and stronger immunity to reduce the risk of infections. A decrease in probiotic bacteria in the gut, coupled with poor lifestyle, can lead to poor gut health and weak immunity, manifesting as fatigue, poor growth and development, malnutrition and repeated infections. To keep the gut healthy, it is essential to introduce probiotics into the daily diet through scientifically validated probiotic products.
MAM
VML India lands two finalist spots at Cairns Hatchlings 2026
The Mumbai agency is back in Australia with two teams, a UN brief and 24 hours to impress
MUMBAI: VML India is heading to Australia again. The Mumbai-based creative agency has secured two finalist spots at the Cairns Hatchlings 2026 competition, one in the Audio category and one in Design, making it the only Indian agency to have reached the finals in both editions of the contest since its launch in 2025.
Four people will make the trip. Senior copywriter Shilpi Dey and senior art director Raj Thakkar will compete in Audio. Art directors Shabbir and Shruti Negi will go head-to-head with the world’s best in Design. The finals take place at the Cairns Convention Centre from 13th May, culminating in an awards ceremony on 15th May.
The work that got them there is worth examining. For the Audio category, Dey and Thakkar tackled a brief for LIVE LIKE MMAD with a campaign called Inner Voice, Interrupted. Using spatial audio techniques, the campaign recreates the overwhelming self-doubt that descends after a long workday, physically panning negative thoughts left and right before cutting the noise entirely to reveal a confident inner voice. Strategically targeted at commuters via Spotify during evening rush hours, the campaign reframes the hours after work as an opportunity for personal growth and charitable action.
For the Design category, Shabbir and Negi worked on a brief for Canteen’s Bandanna Day, a campaign highlighting how cancer pushes teenagers out of their own defining moments. Using a pixelated design language to create stark contrast between a blurred world of isolation and a focused world of connection, the campaign, titled The Flipside of Cancer, shows teenagers fading into the background of birthdays, skateparks and school proms. As a Canteen bandanna appears, the blur flips and the teenager snaps back into sharp focus.
Kalpesh Patankar, group chief creative officer of VML India, made no attempt to disguise his satisfaction. “We are immensely proud to see our teams consistently excel on the Cairns Hatchlings platform since its inception,” he said. “They have masterfully tackled challenging briefs across diverse categories, demonstrating both layered storytelling and a unique creative approach. This exceptional teamwork is truly inspiring.”
Dey and Thakkar, returning to the finals after last year’s run, were candid about the demands of the audio medium. “It’s one of the most demanding mediums, where we only have a few seconds to capture a listener’s world with sound alone, so absolute clarity is essential,” they said. “The true measure of creative work is its ability to create positive change, and our audio submission was made to help those who need it most while encouraging people to silence the inner voices that hold them back.”
Shabbir and Negi, competing in Design for the first time, described the experience as “a completely different beast.” “We see it as an opportunity to showcase our expertise, raise the bar, and challenge ourselves in new ways, while also learning from creative minds from across the globe,” they said.
In Australia, the four finalists will face a live 24-hour brief from the United Nations before presenting in a live pitch session. Twenty-four hours, one brief, one shot. VML India has been here before. It knows exactly what is at stake.
