iWorld
Disney+ Hotstar’s Koffee With Karan season 8 strengthens its roster with six sponsors
Mumbai: Disney+ Hotstar, India’s leading streaming platform, is back with an exciting new season of its marquee celebrity talk show Hotstar Specials’ Koffee With Karan. The all-new Season 8, hosted by the producer, director, show anchor and actor Karan Johar, gives brands an opportunity to connect with consumers through one of India’s most talked about / popular shows. After a successful Season 7 that streamed exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar, advertiser sentiment for Season 8 is at an all-time high with three returning and three new sponsors.
A total of six brands have been on-boarded for the new season, with Google Pixel serving as the smartphone partner and Jaquar Bath+ Light as the lighting partner. For the third time in a row, the show will be driven by Audi, and the guests will be gracing their presence on couch partner – Fabricare by D’Decor. Brewing the conversations will be Tata Coffee Grand, while Only Natural Diamonds will add to the glamour quotient.
Disney Star head of network – Ad sales Ajit Varghese said, “Koffee With Karan is a legacy asset of Disney+ Hotstar that has grown in popularity from season to season. Across all editions, it has been a strong bridge connecting premium brands to viewers. The continuation of association from several brands following huge brand engagement success in the previous season stands testimony to this. With the marquee show once again streaming exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar, our sponsors will get the opportunity to reach a wider and more captivated audience than ever before.”
Gaurav Sinha, Head (Marketing & PR), Audi India head (marketing & PR) Gaurav Sinha sharing about the brand’s association with the show for the third time said, “Audi is thrilled to continue its strong association with Disney+ Hotstar’s Koffee with Karan for the third consecutive year with Season 8. The Bollywood industry epitomises aspiration, and Audi continues to be the preferred brand of the stars, making this the right property for us to associate with to enhance our brand’s appeal among viewers as well as the Bollywood community. Additionally, since the show transitioned into its Disney+ Hotstar exclusive format starting from Season 7, it has created exciting opportunities for us to connect with our core audience – the premium, urban, affluent, young achievers at scale.”
Through a legacy show like Koffee With Karan, Disney+ Hotstar provides brands a unique opportunity to reach a highly engaged, urban, affluent and digitally savvy audience. The platform offers a variety of advertising and branded content solutions to help businesses across sectors engage with their audiences more effectively.
The highly anticipated Hotstar Specials’ Koffee with Karan is back with Season 8, releasing exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar from 26 October onwards.
iWorld
Uber spotlights Rs 25 bike rides with music led IPL campaign
Uber uses 15 second music films with Divine and Roll Rida to push Rs 25 rides
MUMBAI: In a season where ads usually swing for sixes with celebrity spectacle, Uber has chosen to play a clever single sharp, fast, and straight to the point. Uber has rolled out a distinctly stripped-down IPL campaign, putting its product Uber Bike rides starting at Rs 25 for up to 3 km front and centre, rather than leaning on big-budget storytelling. The campaign features hip-hop artist Divine in Mumbai and Roll Rida in southern markets, using music as the primary vehicle for recall.
IPL advertising has long been dominated by high-production narratives packed with cricketers and film stars. Uber’s approach flips that playbook. Instead of elaborate storytelling, the brand opts for 15-second music-led films quick, rhythmic bursts designed to mirror the pace of urban mobility itself.
The message is deliberately simple, affordable, fast rides that cut through city traffic. No layered plots, no extended build-up just a functional promise delivered with cultural flair.
In the Mumbai-led film, Divine zips through traffic on an Uber Bike, turning the Rs 25 price point into a hook with his signature wordplay around “pachisi”. The campaign cleverly reframes affordability as a moment of delight, the kind that leaves commuters with a “32-teeth smile” after beating traffic at minimal cost.
Meanwhile, Roll Rida’s version leans into southern sensibilities, blending Telugu and Tamil influences with high-energy visuals. Set to the beat of tape drums, the film celebrates how low-cost rides can unlock a more connected and vibrant city experience. Together, the films reflect a conscious push towards regional authenticity, rather than a one-size-fits-all national narrative.
The campaign also signals Uber’s sharper focus on India’s growing bike taxi segment. While the company offers multi-modal services spanning cars, autos, metro integrations and intercity travel, this push zeroes in on two-wheelers as a key growth lever in dense urban markets.
By anchoring the campaign around a Rs 25 entry price for short distances, Uber is targeting everyday commuters, particularly younger users navigating congested cities where speed and cost matter more than comfort.
With IPL advertising clutter at its peak, even the most straightforward message risks getting lost. Uber’s answer is to embed the proposition within culture using music, regional nuance and repeat-friendly short formats to drive recall. The creative team has also layered subtle visual cues including multiple references to “25” within frames encouraging repeat viewing and reinforcing the core message without over-explaining it.
The campaign reflects a broader shift in advertising priorities. As attention spans shrink and media environments get noisier, brands are increasingly favouring clarity over complexity and speed over scale.
Uber’s IPL play may not shout the loudest, but it lands where it matters in the everyday commute. Because sometimes, in a marketplace full of grand narratives, a Rs 25 ride is story enough.
