iWorld
Tik Tok appoints Shouzi Chew as CEO
New Delhi: Chinese short-video sharing platform TikTok has tapped Shouzi Chew as the company’s new chief executive officer.
TikTok’s interim head Vanessa Pappas, based in Los Angeles, will be the new chief operating officer.
Chew is based in Singapore and was named chief financial officer of TikTok parent company ByteDance in March this year, and will continue in that role, the company said.
The decision was taken after TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer quit the company in August 2020 amid India’s decision to ban the app.
Chew has served as Xiaomi’s chief financial officer from 2015 to 2020, and ran its international business for a year, and took the company in one of the largest ever Chinese tech listings on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
“The leadership team of Shou and Vanessa sets the stage for sustained growth,” said ByteDance CEO Yiming Zhang. “Shou brings deep knowledge of the industry, having led a team that was among our earliest investors and having worked in the technology sector for a decade.”
TikTok became the most downloaded non-gaming app worldwide, with more than 58 million installs in March. Over 11 per cent of these installs were from China followed by the US at 10 per cent. The second most popular app was Facebook, with more than 56 million installs in March, according to data shared by app analytics firm Sensor Tower.
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.
