iWorld
Pocket Aces launches India’s first Instagram original series ‘Firsts’
MUMBAI: The first significant moments of any relationship are always cherished. With this simple thought in mind, Pocket Aces is launching its new unique web series “Firsts” in partnership with Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk facilitated by Wavemaker. Silk will be seamlessly integrated in the series as an enabler for the wonderful moments in the relationship.
“Firsts” is the first-of-its-kind in many ways – it’s the first-ever series to be premiering in this format on Instagram, and it is also the first series to have distinct stories in each Season – i.e. Season 2 will have a different story than Season 1, hence maintaining the essence of showing the firsts in various relationships. The series will be released via daily one-minute episodes on Dice Media’s Instagram page, with each episode covering a significant moment in the relationship – the first time the couple saw each other, the first time they talked to each other, the first time they spoke on the phone, the first time they fought, etc.
In a bid to capture relatability to a school going audiences and nostalgia for the other audiences, Firsts Season 1 takes us back to our school life and shows the magic of an innocent and tender school romance. The series features popular digital actors Rohan Shah and Apoorva Arora, who have been previously seen together in many FilterCopy videos have received much love and appreciation from the audience. Their video ‘Every School Romance’ has amassed over 30 million views alone! The series also features the very popular Viraj Ghelani with talented actor Urvi Singh as secondary leads.
Commenting on the launch of the series, Pocket Aces co-founder Aditi Shrivastava said, “We are extremely excited to partner with Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk for Firsts. We’re constantly innovating on content formats, and are very proud to be releasing the first-ever Instagram focused web series. The huge success of our web series Little Things has taught us that the audience loves seeing the small, cute moments of a relationship. In addition, we have done a lot of content around school life be it school romance, or exams, school bffs, etc. and they have all worked very well. Firsts Season 1 is an amalgamation of both these data points – showing the small moments of a blooming school romance. Silk with its romantic imagery is the most seamless and intuitive fit for this concept, and we’re excited to bring in Valentine’s Day 2020 together to the audiences.”
Speaking about the association, Wavemaker India chief content officer Karthik Nagarajan said, “There is a rapid dynamic shift in the entertainment consumption patterns and preferences. Social media has become the go-to platform for entertainment amongst millennials. Taking this cue ahead, Dice media, in association with Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk decided to create a unique digital branded content initiative – an Instagram-first web series ‘FIRSTS’, for this Valentine’s season. Silk, over the years has always inspired us with its meaningful marketing campaigns and we are sure ‘Firsts’ will be yet another impactful innovation by the brand.”
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
