iWorld
Facebook ropes in Antonio Lucio as new CMO
MUMBAI: Facebook has named Antonio Lucio as the new global chief marketing officer. Lucio is a very prominent face in t he global advertising and marketing industry, having stints in HP, Visa, PepsiCo. He will start his work on 4 September.
Lucio will fill a post that’s been open since Gary Briggs announced his retirement in January. According to reports, Briggs helped in the search for his replacement. He will report to chief product officer Chris Cox, overseeing global marketing strategy for the social-media company.
Our Chief Product Officer Chris Cox welcoming @ajlucio5 the Facebook family – joining as our new Chief Marketing Officer on September 4! pic.twitter.com/v0vIGomMmK
— Facebook (@facebook) August 24, 2018
To regain Facebook’s brand value will be a challenge to new CMO as he joins in a crisis period. Since the beginning of this year, the social media giant has faced mounting consumer, regulatory and political pressure in several countries. In last quarter also, the company posted disappointing results. Hence, Lucio’s primary challenge will be to regain reputation of the brand.
Prior to this position at Facebook, he held the portfolio of CMO at HP. He served as Visa’s first global CMO where he directed the company’s famous “Everywhere you want to be” campaign while he also helped the company transition from financial-services player to a technology business. At PepsiCo he served as chief innovation and health and wellness officer.
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.
