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Sunday, February 22, 2026

Brandma

Amul Girl – Marketing icon-turned-social media darling who has an opinion on everything

From commenting on the release of the latest films, including the Hollywood blockbuster Avatar, to Argentina winning the FIFA World Cup final, there is nowhere the Amul Girl doesn’t fit.

Inhalers to cough drops or soothing balm — Winter is here and it smells like Vicks VapoRub

From stuffy nose, chest congestion to scratchy throat, good ol' Vicks has been the go-to product for generations.

Camlin – a stationery stalwart that popularised art education in Indian schools

Camlin traces its origin to an Indian company that made ink in the 1930s. Today, the firm has a Japanese owner and continues to remain a dominant force in the stationery industry.

‘Pitaji ki patloon’ to ‘uncle ji ki kursi’ — Cadbury 5 Star hit the spot with Ramesh-Suresh duo

The iconic twosome became cult figures in the early 2010s for their quirky antics and became synonymous with the chocolate bar.

How marketing ‘comfort for the common man’ made Rupa standout in India’s innerwear market

The family-owned enterprise did not have a roaring start. But with solid marketing practices in place, Rupa climbed the ladder of success and went on to dominate the market.

Synonymous with ‘paani’, Italian-origin Bisleri made water a commodity in India

Acquired by Chauhan brothers for Rs 4 lakh in 1969, Bisleri has come a long way and is now an integral part of the Indian consumer culture.

Ash Ketchum has finally won a Pokémon League. But he has always been a winner

For young kids watching Pokémon, Ash was nothing less than a role model. He cried, threw tantrums, felt dejected and lost a lot. But he stood by his principles, no matter what.

Cartoon Network turns 30 and millennials are nostalgic, feeling older than ever

Launched in India on 1 May, 1995, Cartoon Network offered a bedrock for animated content to the cable TV watching generation, aka the millennials.

‘Femina’, ‘Meri Saheli’ or ‘Grihshobha’ — women’s magazines are the original ‘influencers’

These magazines often drew readers into the nitty-gritty of running a household, while also allowing women some much-needed downtime.

Nirodh – cheap condoms that led India’s family planning project but undone by lousy branding

Nirodh might not be a popular choice, but India’s first govt-owned condom brand has a zany history consisting of terrible branding and marketing blunders.

On Camera

Youth Congress, your foolish protest helped the Modi govt climb out of the AI summit hole

In tactical terms, the shirtless protest was worse than a self-goal. Suddenly, the fiascos of the AI Summit were forgotten, and the Youth Congress’s disruption became the issue.

In the West, there’s anxiety. In India, optimism—Rishi Sunak says India poised to be leader in AI

On Wednesday, the former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was speaking in New Delhi at a Carnegie & Observer Research Foundation event on AI.

MoD, IAF agree on some exemptions to HAL for Tejas Mk1A, but no compromise on ‘must-have’ capabilities

IAF is fine with accepting the aircraft with 'must-haves', even if some other steps remain pending, which may take at least another year, it is learnt.

No country is ever fully sovereign. Cold War era taught India its real meaning

India’s fraught neighbourhood places multiple constraints on its strategic choices. It leaves no time to take a deep breath, lean back and reset.