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✦The Buy Button Inside The Assistant✦How To Build A Portfolio When You Have No Real Clients✦Kapture CX Names Kruti Khandelwal VP Of Marketing✦OPPO Ties The F35 To Drishyam The Conclusion✦Instagram Puts An AI Analyst Inside Its Editing App✦South Indian Bank Appoints Mahesh Pai As MD And CEO✦Interio Makes The Case For Steel By Filling The Kitchen✦Meta Publishes A Playbook For Micro Drama Platforms✦Gopakumar Nair Takes Over As AAAI Secretary General✦Ghadi Puts Its New Formulation Through A Test On Camera✦OpenAI Launches Dots, Agents That Work On Their Own✦Sandeep Goyal Elected AAAI President For 2026-27✦The Buy Button Inside The Assistant✦How To Build A Portfolio When You Have No Real Clients✦Kapture CX Names Kruti Khandelwal VP Of Marketing✦OPPO Ties The F35 To Drishyam The Conclusion✦Instagram Puts An AI Analyst Inside Its Editing App✦South Indian Bank Appoints Mahesh Pai As MD And CEO✦Interio Makes The Case For Steel By Filling The Kitchen✦Meta Publishes A Playbook For Micro Drama Platforms✦Gopakumar Nair Takes Over As AAAI Secretary General✦Ghadi Puts Its New Formulation Through A Test On Camera✦OpenAI Launches Dots, Agents That Work On Their Own✦Sandeep Goyal Elected AAAI President For 2026-27

Ad Tribe — daily news on India’s advertising industry

A flat vector character reaching into a speech bubble and lifting out a parcel
The Ai Shift

The Buy Button Inside The Assistant

Search has always ended by sending you somewhere. This is the first version that does not.

An open portfolio case with hand-drawn shapes rising out of it against warm off-white
Work Life

How To Build A Portfolio When You Have No Real Clients

Kruti Khandelwal, appointed vice president of marketing at Kapture CX
People

Kapture CX Names Kruti Khandelwal VP Of Marketing

The Latest
Brands

OPPO Ties The F35 To Drishyam The Conclusion

Ad Tech

Instagram Puts An AI Analyst Inside Its Editing App

People

South Indian Bank Appoints Mahesh Pai As MD And CEO

Campaigns

Interio Makes The Case For Steel By Filling The Kitchen

Ad Tech

Meta Publishes A Playbook For Micro Drama Platforms

People

Gopakumar Nair Takes Over As AAAI Secretary General

Campaigns

Ghadi Puts Its New Formulation Through A Test On Camera

Ad Tech

OpenAI Launches Dots, Agents That Work On Their Own

PeopleAll →
Kruti Khandelwal, appointed vice president of marketing at Kapture CX

Kapture CX Names Kruti Khandelwal VP Of Marketing

Mahesh Muralidhar Pai, appointed managing director and chief executive of South Indian Bank

South Indian Bank Appoints Mahesh Pai As MD And CEO

Gopakumar R. Nair, appointed secretary general of the Advertising Agencies Association of India

Gopakumar Nair Takes Over As AAAI Secretary General

Sandeep Goyal, elected president of the Advertising Agencies Association of India for 2026-27

Sandeep Goyal Elected AAAI President For 2026-27

Muskan Grover, appointed manager of PR and corporate communications at Campus Activewear

Campus Activewear Appoints Muskan Grover To Lead PR

JK Patel, appointed head of marketing at WLDD

JK Patel Joins WLDD As Head Of Marketing

FeatureWork LifeAll →
An open portfolio case with hand-drawn shapes rising out of it against warm off-white
Work Life

How To Build A Portfolio When You Have No Real Clients

The people reading it know you had no clients. They are looking for something else entirely.

Memes Entered The Creative Department. What Changed

It takes twenty minutes to make and can outperform the film that took six weeks. That is the whole problem.

Can You Return To Advertising After Leaving It

Leaving is easy to explain. Coming back is the conversation nobody has prepared for.

From Agency Employee To Independent Creative

The freedom is real. So is the fortnight in every quarter that is spent chasing an invoice.

FeatureBrand BuildersAll →
Watercolour and ink portrait of C.K. Ranganathan, founder of CavinKare
Brand Builders

C.K. Ranganathan, Who Scaled an Idea He Did Not Invent

A sachet is not a smaller pack. It is a different purchase, made by a different person, at a different moment.

02
Watercolour and ink portrait of Swapnil Jain, co-founder of Ather Energy

Swapnil Jain And The Engineering Behind Ather

03
Watercolour and ink portrait of Tarun Mehta, co-founder of Ather Energy

Tarun Mehta, Who Sold The Ride Before The Battery

04
Watercolour and ink portrait of Radhika Ghai, co-founder of ShopClues and founder of Kindlife

Radhika Ghai And The Long Tail Of Indian Retail

05
Watercolour and ink portrait of Arjun Vaidya, founder of Dr Vaidya New Age Ayurveda

Arjun Vaidya, Who Modernised A Family Inheritance

06
Watercolour and ink portrait of Suchita Salwan, founder of Little Black Book

Suchita Salwan, Who Turned A City Into A Product

07
Watercolour and ink portrait of Ananth Narayanan, founder of Mensa Brands

Ananth Narayanan, Who Buys Brands Instead Of Building Them

CampaignsAll →
A woman smiling in a red steel kitchen, a frame from the Interio by Godrej campaign film
Campaigns

Interio Makes The Case For Steel By Filling The Kitchen

Durability is a dull claim. The film argues it by never letting the kitchen be empty.

Madhuri Dixit holding a pack of Ghadi detergent, a frame from the Vishwas Ki Pariksha film
Campaigns

Ghadi Puts Its New Formulation Through A Test On Camera

A couple laughing together in the back of a car, a frame from the Hinge India campaign film
Campaigns

Hinge Builds Its India Campaign On The Quiet Signs

Five Ranbir Kapoor characters gathered in one room in Flux Theory's launch film
Campaigns

Ranbir Kapoor Plays Five Of Himself To Launch A Shower Gel

SKINN Argues That Perfume Should Not Be Saved For The Occasion

HSBC Mutual Fund Builds A Campaign On A Pun You Cannot Unsee

OpenAI Signs Sachin Tendulkar For A Multi-Year Push On ChatGPT In India

Myntra Turns A Found Scrunchie Into A Reason To Shop

FeatureSocial-FirstAll →
A halftone face fragment cut and offset beside a bold graphic megaphone on a flat orange ground
Social First

What A Brand Owes A Creator After The Campaign Ends

A halftone conveyor belt carrying identical small squares off the edge of the frame, on a saturated mustard ground
Social First

The Real Cost Of Always-On Social Content

A halftone handshake fragmented and reassembled against bold cut-paper geometric blocks, on a saturated forest green ground
Social First

Why B2B Brands Are Finally Getting Social Right

A large blank disclosure tag beside a torn halftone portrait of a woman on a flat yellow ground
Social First

What ASCI's AI Labelling Rules Mean For Creator Posts

The disclosure sits on the post, which means it sits on the creator, not the brand that briefed it.

What Happens To A Brand When The Algorithm Changes

The Rights Problem Hiding In Every UGC Campaign

Why Nano Influencers Outperform Their Follower Count

How Brands Decide Which Language To Post In

BrandsAll →
A smartphone beside a cinema ticket as halftone cutouts on a flat forest green ground, for the OPPO and Drishyam partnership
Brands

OPPO Ties The F35 To Drishyam The Conclusion

A franchise about what gets left out of the picture, selling a wider lens.

02
A running shoe beside a clapperboard as halftone cutouts on a flat crimson ground, for the RANNR ambassador announcement

RANNR Names Rajkummar Rao As Its Brand Ambassador

03
A solar panel beside a small house as halftone cutouts on a flat sky blue ground, for the Freyr Energy ambassador announcement

Freyr Energy Signs Rohit Sharma As Its First Brand Ambassador

04
Fastrack and Lollapalooza India key visual announcing the 2027 festival partnership

Fastrack Joins Lollapalooza India 2027 As Co-Presenting Partner

05
An open textbook beside a stack of coloured pencils as halftone cutouts on a flat teal ground, for the OUP and Canva classroom partnership

Oxford University Press Puts Canva Into Its School Series

06
A television set overlapping a packet of soya chunks as halftone cutouts on a flat yellow ground, for the Nutrela in-content campaign

Nutrela Moves Into In-Content Advertising On Star Jalsha

07
A calculator beside a wristwatch as halftone cutouts on a flat orange ground, for Flipkart handling Casio after-sales service

Flipkart Takes On Casio After-Sales Service Across India

Newsletter

The Buzz, in your inbox.

Ad world news, campaigns and moves, a few times a week. No noise.

FeatureIndian Ad LegendsAll →
A graphite pencil portrait of Prasoon Joshi, the poet who gave brands their voice
Indian Ad Legends

The Story of Prasoon Joshi, the Poet Who Gave Brands a Soul

Read the story of Prasoon Joshi, one of Indian advertising's most influential figures, known for McCann, Coca-Cola's Thanda Matlab campaign and a rare career that spans advertising, poetry and film.

A graphite pencil portrait of Arun Nanda, the adman who built Rediffusion
Indian Ad Legends

The Story of Arun Nanda, the Adman Who Built Rediffusion

A graphite pencil portrait of Mohammed Khan, the adman who built Enterprise
Indian Ad Legends

The Story of Mohammed Khan, the Gentleman Who Built Three Iconic Agencies

Graphite pencil portrait of K.V. Sridhar, the Leo Burnett creative chief known across Indian advertising as Pops.
Indian Ad Legends

The Story of K.V. Sridhar, the Artist the Industry Calls Pops

The Story of Prasoon Pandey, the Director Who Filmed India's Most Loved Ads

The Story of Prahlad Kakkar, the Man Who Made Ad Films Fun

The Story of R. Balki, the Adman Who Turned Ideas Into Films

The Story of Swati Bhattacharya, the Voice That Changed How India Talks About Women

NewsAll →
01

Apple Pay Launches In India With Axis Bank Cards

02

Clarity Communication And Virtual Pebbles Tie Up On PR And Digital

03

Tempest Advertising Wins Mahyco International’s Philippines Mandate

04

Sandpiper Adds Public Affairs Directors In Dubai And Singapore

05

Famous Studios, 80 Years Old, Repositions As A Full Content Business

06

ASCI Draws The Line On AI In Ads: Some Things A Label Cannot Fix

07

MESC, the Media & Entertainment Skills Council, has named KlugKlug its official influencer intelligence platform

08

CCPA Fines Amazon, Flipkart And JioMart Over An Unregistered Pesticide Listing

FeatureCreative RoomAll →
A bold halftone cutout of a pair of scissors with a thick white border on a black ground with teal and coral shapes
Creative Room

Who Decides The Final Cut

Halftone collage of a trophy repeated in a row, each one smaller than the last, for the follow-up to a hit campaign
Creative Room

What Happens After A Hit Campaign

Halftone collage of three viewfinders stacked and overlapping, for how ad film directors are chosen
Creative Room

How Directors Are Chosen For An Ad Film

A single rolled document stands the full height of the frame with torn tape radiating behind it
Creative Room

What A Treatment Looks Like When There Is No Shoot

Without a director attached, the treatment stops being a pitch and becomes the specification.

How Budget Shapes The Idea Before Anyone Admits It

What Changes When A Celebrity Joins The Campaign

How One Idea Is Adapted Across Formats And Markets

How Legal Review Changes a Creative Idea

Ad TechAll →
A bar chart beside a film strip as halftone cutouts on a flat magenta ground, for the Instagram Edits AI assistant
Ad Tech

Instagram Puts An AI Analyst Inside Its Editing App

A vertical phone beside a stack of coins as halftone cutouts on a flat violet ground, for the Meta micro drama playbook
Ad Tech

Meta Publishes A Playbook For Micro Drama Platforms

A cloud server rack beside a small clipboard as halftone cutouts on a flat deep blue ground, for the OpenAI Dots launch
Ad Tech

OpenAI Launches Dots, Agents That Work On Their Own

A microphone beside a shopping trolley as halftone cutouts on a flat indigo ground, for the Amazon Ads Agent announcement
Ad Tech

Amazon Ads Adds DVA+ And A Conversational Buying Layer

FeatureCampaigns That Built IndiaAll →
Halftone collage of a salt packet and a pair of scales on charcoal, for Tata Salt’s Desh Ka Namak positioning
Campaigns That Built India

How Tata Salt’s Desh Ka Namak Turned A Commodity Into A Claim

Salt is the hardest thing in a shop to differentiate. Tata stopped trying to and argued about the country instead.

02
Halftone collage of a paper kite and a pair of spectacles on charcoal, for Google’s Reunion film

How Google’s Reunion Made A Search Box Feel Like A Border Crossing

03
Halftone collage of a laundry basket and a wedding ring on charcoal, for Ariel’s Share the Load campaign

How Ariel’s Share The Load Put A Chore At The Centre Of An Argument

04
Halftone collage of a tanpura and a vintage broadcast microphone on charcoal, for Mile Sur Mera Tumhara

How Mile Sur Mera Tumhara Became The Film India Cannot Agree On

05
Halftone collage of a boxy television set and a pair of horns on charcoal, for the Onida devil campaign

How Onida’s Devil Sold Envy To A Country That Had To Wait

06
Halftone collage of a detergent sachet and a bicycle on charcoal, for the Nirma washing powder story

How Nirma’s Jingle Undercut Surf And Rewrote The Detergent Market

07
Halftone collage of a detergent carton and a shopping basket on charcoal, for the Surf Lalitaji campaign

How Surf’s Lalitaji Made Thrift The Smart Woman’s Argument

FeatureBrand ComebacksAll →
A collage of a vintage wooden television set beside a modern flat screen on a magenta ground
Brand Comebacks

BPL: Reviving a Legacy Electronics Brand in a New Market

BPL was a 1990s electronics champion before global brands took over. Why reviving a legacy tech name is one of the hardest comebacks of all.

Wooden barrels beside a dark rum bottle in a warm toned collage
Brand Comebacks

Old Monk: The Brand That Stayed Alive Without Advertising

A collage of a motorcycle, riders in helmets and an open road with arrows
Brand Comebacks

Royal Enfield: From Fading Motorcycle Brand to Global Cult

A halftone collage of cut gemstones and gold rings on a magenta ground
Brand Comebacks

Tanishq: From Market Skepticism to India's Most Trusted Jeweller

Maggi: The Ultimate Trust-Rebuild After the 2015 Crisis

Rasna: A Childhood Summer Brand Fights to Stay Relevant

Kinetic Luna: From Middle-Class Icon to Electric Comeback

Tata Sierra: The Return of an Iconic SUV Nameplate

Tribe TicksAll →
A halftone photographic cutout of a stadium floodlight with a thick white sticker border on an amber ground
Tribe Ticks

Why Indian Brands Still Buy Cricket

Halftone collage of a billboard frame pushed hard into one corner of the frame, for how outdoor advertising survived
Tribe Ticks

How Outdoor Advertising Survived The Digital Decade

Halftone collage of a television set repeated at diminishing sizes along a diagonal band, for where TV money went
Tribe Ticks

Where Television’s Advertising Money Actually Went

Halftone collage of three megaphones stacked and overlapping, for brands built without advertising
Tribe Ticks

Why Some Of India’s Biggest Brands Were Built Without Advertising

Most Read
01

R.S. Sodhi, the Man Who Turned Amul's Trust Into Market Share

02

Jessica Shoemaker Joins Netflix As Global Director Of Product Marketing

03

The Bull That Bowed: Inside Alpha Bull Rum's Open Letter To Old Monk

04

The Anatomy of a Great Brand Reply

05

Pizza Hut India Joins Forces with MoEngage to Power Customer Engagement

06

Amigos Foods Joins Hands with Orion Digital to Power Its Online Growth

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EventsAll →
Ad Tribe Awards - South
03DEC

Ad Tribe Awards - South

The inaugural edition, for agencies, brands and work led from South India. 12 agency awards, 20 brand awards, 22 work awards, and no category obliged to produce a winner.

Hyderabad, India

The Next 50
03DEC

The Next 50

Fifty individuals under 30 whose work, thinking and contribution are already making India's agency industry better. Agency-led nomination, transparent scoring, no public voting.

Hyderabad, India