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• Entertain or Fade Away: The New Imperative for Brands

  Advertising now blends with entertainment. Creativity is key to engage audiences. Long-form storytelling builds brand equity. Collaboration among diverse creatives is essential. Brands actively participate in culture. The focus shifts from announcements to narratives. The goal is to build meaningful ecosystems. Audiences demand engaging content. The Cannes Lions Festival highlights the need to entertain. Brands must create culture-rich entertainment.

  

• Purpose, Data, Empathy, and AI: Highlights from Cannes Lions

  Cannes 2024 was filled with insightful sessions emphasizing purpose, empathy, and the irreplaceable human element in marketing. Speakers highlighted the importance of data with soul, media planning rooted in empathy, and campaigns that genuinely impact lives. While India's win was limited, FCB's Gold Lion for "Lucky Yatra" brought immense pride, reinforcing a sense of collective achievement.

  

• Google suffers setback as EU legal opinion backs record fine

  Google faced a setback in the European Court of Justice. An advisor suggested upholding a hefty fine for anti-competitive actions. The tech giant has been contesting a multi-billion euro penalty imposed by the European Commission. The commission accused Google of abusing its Android system's popularity. They allegedly forced phone makers to pre-install Google apps.

  

• AI chatbots using reason emit more carbon than those responding concisely, study finds

  A study has found that chat-based generative AI emits significantly more carbon when handling complex prompts. Reasoning-enabled models produced up to 50 times more emissions than concise ones. While these models are more accurate, researchers warn of a trade-off between accuracy and sustainability, urging optimisation for environmentally conscious AI development.

  

• Monsters and memes: Labubu dolls ride China soft-power wave

  Small, fuzzy and baring sharp teeth, Chinese toymaker Pop Mart's Labubu monster dolls have taken over the world, drawing excited crowds at international stores and adorning the handbags of celebrities such as Rihanna and Cher. The dolls are "a bit quirky and ugly and very inclusive, so people can relate"at a Pop Mart store in London, where in-person sales of Labubus have been suspended over fears that fans could turn violent in their quest for the toys.

  

• The 'Google incident' that has left Samsung 'shocked'

  Google will use TSMC for its Tensor G5 chips in Pixel 10. This decision has caused Samsung to investigate its foundry division. Samsung lost Google as a major customer due to yield and design issues. Other companies like Apple and Qualcomm have also moved to TSMC. Samsung faces challenges with its 2nm process.

  

• Green AI: Can we make Generative AI more sustainable?

  Generative AI's rapid growth presents a significant environmental challenge due to its immense energy consumption and carbon emissions. Strategies like energy-efficient model training, green data centers, and optimized hardware are crucial for mitigating AI's ecological impact. Balancing innovation with sustainability requires a collective effort from developers, policymakers, and enterprises to build an environmentally conscious AI ecosystem.

  

• Amitabh Bachchan brings alive the Indian values in India Gate’s new film

  India Gate Basmati Rice introduces a new brand film. Amitabh Bachchan stars in the film. The film highlights celebrated Indian values. It showcases how food connects people. The campaign aims to make Indian values go viral through food. The film will be shown in cinemas, television, and digital platforms. The campaign reinforces India Gate's commitment to Indian values.

  

• Unpacking Cannes' best & Aamir's bold cinema bet

  This week's media landscape buzzes with Cannes Lions' innovative campaigns, showcasing data-driven creativity and emotional connection. Aamir Khan's bold stance against early OTT releases sparks debate about cinema's future, while discussions question Cannes' inclusivity. The industry also sees shifts in Indian Pay DTH subscriptions and box office growth, alongside key media mandate wins.

  

• Apple eyes using AI to design its chips, technology executive says

  Apple is exploring generative AI to accelerate the design of its custom chips, according to hardware chief Johny Srouji. He emphasized the importance of cutting-edge tools, including AI-powered chip design software from EDA firms, to boost productivity. Apple's successful transition of Macs to its own silicon, a move made without a backup plan, highlights the company's commitment to bold innovation.

  

• Why Martech Is Now at the Heart of Customer Experience in BFSI?

  Martech is no longer just a back-end tool; it now sits at the core of how financial services connect with customers. From creating personalised offers to transforming outdated systems, it enables brands to optimise every touchpoint. With the right martech stack, brands can move beyond transactions and build meaningful relationships driven by data and contextual insights.

  

• BBC threatens legal action against AI startup Perplexity over content scraping: Report

  The BBC is contemplating legal action against Perplexity, alleging the AI search engine used its content to train its AI model. The BBC demands Perplexity cease scraping its content, delete existing copies, and propose financial compensation. Perplexity refutes the claims, labeling them as manipulative and demonstrating a misunderstanding of technology and intellectual property law.

  

• Streaming platform Deezer starts flagging AI-generated music

  French streaming platform Deezer now flags fully AI-generated music with a “content generated by AI” label, aiming to protect artist royalties. Using in-house detection tech with claimed 98% accuracy, Deezer demonetises such tracks but doesn't remove them. Around 18% of new uploads are AI-made, posing a growing challenge to musicians' earnings.

  

• Mark Zuckerberg made abortive attempt to buy ex-OpenAI executive Ilya Sutskever’s AI startup: Report

  Mark Zuckerberg's recent investments and recruitment efforts, including targeting Scale AI and Safe Superintelligence, signal Meta's intensified push into artificial general intelligence (AGI). Fueled by frustration over Llama 4's performance, Zuckerberg aims to build a team of experts to achieve AGI. Sam Altman has accused Meta of poaching OpenAI's talent and lacking innovation.

  

• Vir Das redefines comfort with Hush Puppies

  Hush Puppies, in collaboration with Bata India, introduces the 'Ease Please' campaign, featuring Vir Das, to promote a balanced work-life approach. The campaign highlights the new Office Sneakers collection, blending comfort and sophistication for the modern professional. It emphasizes that feeling at ease enhances creativity and productivity, encouraging individuals to embrace a comfortable mindset in both life and work.

  

• Mokobara's Diljit Dosanjh ad: A splash of sci-fi humor and deja vu

  Mokobara's new advertisement featuring Diljit Dosanjh, where he's invited to perform on Mars, is generating buzz. The ad highlights their 'no questions asked' 30-day trial policy. However, its quirky style and plot have drawn comparisons to Carlton Luggage's older campaign, which also used humor to promote a 'no questions asked' lifetime warranty.

  

• YouTube Shorts has hit 200 billion daily views: CEO Neal Mohan

  Mohan also revealed that people are now watching more than 1 billion hours of YouTube on their TVs every day. In May, YouTube topped Nielsen’s The Gauge report for the fourth month in a row, making it the most-watched streaming platform in the US. The platform made up 12.5% of all TV viewership, the largest share ever recorded by The Gauge across any streaming service or channel.

  

• Indian apparel sector to clock 11 pc growth over FY24-FY29: HSBC

  The Indian apparel sector is poised for substantial growth, projecting an 11% CAGR from FY24-FY29, driven by increased affordability and penetration of branded segments. Non-formal wear, particularly active wear and organized value retail, are expected to lead this expansion. In April 2025, apparel exports surged by 14.43%, contributing to a 7.45% overall growth in textile and apparel exports.

  

• Myntra expands 30-min delivery service to Delhi-NCR and Mumbai

  Myntra expands its M-Now express delivery to Delhi-NCR and Mumbai after Bengaluru. The service offers 90,000 SKUs across fashion, beauty, and lifestyle. It includes 600 brands in these metro cities. Myntra supports the expansion with 40+ dark stores. M-Now has seen growth in daily orders. Premium brands recorded growth in demand. Myntra has onboarded new brands to its M-Now portfolio.

  

• Timex celebrates the power of simplicity and living in the moment

  Timex launched its Analog Life | Make Time Yours campaign in 2025. The campaign promotes intentional living and simplicity. It encourages people to disconnect from digital distractions. The brand is introducing AnaLog-Off Day to foster offline connections. Deepak Chhabra of Timex Group India highlights the campaign's focus. Timex watches symbolize intentional living and reclaiming personal time.