Applications
Close Up enters digital space with Zapak.com
MUMBAI: Close Up has tied up with gaming portal Zapak.com, to launch a website for Close Up’s new variant – Fire-Freeze.
The website encompasses a special interactive video with viral features. The video comprises a set of six cool music stars and each of the star has an instrument ranging from an electric guitar to a conga.
The video allows users to create their own music pieces by playing these instruments on a pre-recorded base track. Users can create their own music and record it at the same time. The recording can then be shared with friends on Facebook or emailed.
Zapak.com national head, ad sales Sanjay Vasudeva said, “The youth has engulfed the digital space as a part of their day to day activities. Zapak being one of the leading youth destinations in India has been offering the youngsters innovative platforms with engaging and entertaining content. With Close Up being a youth-focused brand, Zapak has created a web destination which offers interactivity and unique viral features to cater to this generation’s taste.”
In addition to this video, the website offers a new game that showcases the Close Up Fire-Freeze attributes.
Hindustan Unilever Limited Category Head – Oral Care Srinandan Sundaram, adds, “Close Up is a vibrant youthful brand. Digital is a critical medium for establishing conversations with our consumers. This is a start in establishing a wider presence of Close Up in the digital space.”
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
