iWorld
America Ferrera makes speech for SeeHer award victory at the 29 Critics Choice Awards
Mumbai: The 29 Critics’ Choice Awards revealed itself to be a cinematic masterpiece of its own! Celebrating the year’s most exceptional performances, and finest stars, the night showcased everything from electrifying wins to tears of joy as legends were honoured and rising stars received recognition. Amongst the names that made headlines was America Ferrera who won the SeeHer Award, which honours the silver screen’s leading ladies who advocate for gender equality and portray authentic, boundary-pushing characters. America won the award for her role in Barbie, the female-led film that was a box-office phenomenon, grossing over 1.4 Billion Dollars globally. The 29 Critics’ Choice Awards streamed LIVE on Lionsgate Play on 15 January 2024. In case you missed tuning in live, rewatch the event exclusively on Lionsgate Play.
In her acceptance speech, America Ferrera said, “I yearned to see people like myself on screen as full humans. When I started working over 20 years ago, that seemed impossible, I know. It seemed impossible that anyone could make a career of portraying fully dimensional Latina characters. But because of writers, directors, producers and executives who are daring enough to rewrite outdated stories and to challenge deeply entrenched biases, I, and some of my beloved Latina colleagues, have been supremely blessed to bring to life some fierce and fantastic women. Because of that, we have had the chance to bring through some deeply layered Latina characters and characters that I could not have seen growing up.’
She further went on to say, “But now I can see her and I see her expanding in the next generation of talent like my beloved Ariana Greenblatt, who plays my daughter in Barbie, and in Jenna Ortega, and in Selena Gomez, and in so many more out there. To me, this is the best and highest use of storytelling to affirm one another’s full humanity, to uphold the truth that we are all worthy of being seen – Black, brown, indigenous Asian, Trans, disabled, any body type, any gender. We are all worthy of having our lives richly and authentically reflective.”
Watch the 29 Critics’ Choice Awards exclusively on Lionsgate Play.
e-commerce
Instamart gold dig event at Hussain Sagar goes viral
Hyderabad activation ties to gold price lock offer ahead of Akshaya Tritiya
MUMBAI: All that glitters isn’t just gold, it’s also great marketing. A quirky on-ground activation by Instamart at Hussain Sagar Lake has turned into a viral spectacle, with videos of people digging for gold coins flooding social media feeds this week. The campaign, executed in collaboration with Moms, transformed a patch of the city’s iconic lakefront into what online users quickly dubbed a “mini gold rush”. Armed with spades, participants dug through a mud-filled pit in search of hidden gold coins, an activity that drew crowds, cameras and plenty of commentary online, ranging from amused disbelief to outright fascination.
At the heart of the frenzy was a promotional push for Instamart’s ‘Gold Price Lock’ feature, which allows users to secure prevailing gold rates between April 10 and April 16 and complete their purchase later during Akshaya Tritiya, a period traditionally associated with high gold buying. The mechanic cleverly blended physical participation with digital conversion, turning curiosity into a potential transaction.
Branded as ‘Gold Diggers’, the activation leaned into gamified engagement. Those who struck lucky walked away with coins, those who didn’t were nudged with a simple message: lock the price now, buy later. The result was a steady stream of footfall and a surge in user-generated content, as onlookers and participants alike documented the spectacle.
The timing is significant. India remains one of the world’s largest consumers of gold, with demand peaking around Akshaya Tritiya. Data from the World Gold Council suggests the festival alone accounts for roughly 25–30 tonnes of gold purchases annually, making it a high-stakes window for brands looking to tap into consumer sentiment.
As the ‘Gold Price Lock’ feature remains live until April 16, the campaign has already done its job turning a simple product feature into a citywide moment. Because sometimes, the quickest way to get people talking about gold isn’t to sell it, it’s to make them dig for it.
