Last Thursday, readers woke up to see the front page of a newspaper covered in red and lettered with the words “Happy 18t^h birthday to us. Thank you for keeping us in your hearts (and bank statements)”. Below was the cheeky inscription “no logo required, you know who we are :)”

Overconfidence? Agreed the brand had been building recall around its distinctive red identity, but on social media people thought of Airtel, Kotak Mahindra Bank and several others with the red code. Without a category identifier (and a red herring in the “bank statements” line) there was confusion. Verdict: The teaser was bold but foolish.

Maxxing it

Fastrack’s latest campaign, ‘Gelato Maxxing’, featuring actor Siddhant Chaturvedi, takes its “Never Same, Never Sane” philosophy in a deliciously unexpected direction. Inspired by the rise of the “maxxing” culture, where young consumers unapologetically immerse themselves without moderation in the things they love, the campaign cleverly connects gelato scoops with watches. Chaturvedi digs into gelato scoop after scoop, even as he straps on watch after watch on his arm, right up to the elbow — the glossy, pastel-hued, textured dials are inspired by gelato. What’s more, beyond the campaign, Fastrack has partnered with Bengaluru-based premium gelato brand Milano to co-create the Fastrack x Milano Gelato Truck, taking the world of “gelato maxxing” directly to consumers. An insane idea that works brilliantly.

Football at the table

Teaming up with Coca-Cola, Westlife Foodworld, which owns and operates McDonald’s restaurants across West and South India, has launched a limited-time ‘Football Meals’ campaign. Building on its growing line-up of limited-edition merchandise, from tote bags and sippers to bag charms and socks, the brand taps into FIFA fever to create a shareable meal that comes with an exclusive McDonald’s India x Coca-Cola football collectible. Family meal, football, cola and fun moments. Together, the two brands score!

The missing N

Mobile phone brand OnePlus mixes things up nicely in a lighthearted campaign to promote its new N6 phone. The ad features a podcast-style interaction between playback singer Himesh Reshammiya and a Gen Z host, and the ask is that the letter ‘N’ should be avoided in the conversation. Reshammiya finds himself navigating hilarious moments, lyric callbacks and awkward fumbles, before the narrative culminates in the reveal of the OnePlus N6. A simple idea that combines humour, nostalgia, music and fun, and firmly spotlights the new product.

Published on July 13, 2026