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Friday, December 19, 2025

Brandma

Phantom comics to political exposés: How Illustrated Weekly became a must-read

Under editors like Khushwant Singh, M.V. Kamath and Pritish Nandy, the magazine captured the imagination of urban erudite readers.

Bollywood star on ads, Disneyland tickets, space-age branding & yet Thril cola fizzled out

Caught between two worlds, McDowell’s Thril cola made an impact in India, but briefly.

ECE bulb hi laana: How a boring brand name got etched in Indian memory

The TV ad of ECE bulbs featured actor Kanwarjit Paintal and the jingle hit an amazing chord with viewers.

Lambretta: The Italian two-wheeler that became a ‘dad scooter’ for the big Indian family

The much-loved Lambretta is scheduled for a comeback in India with its retro-cool look.

Photography for all: The Hot Shot camera changed the way Indians clicked

The ease of photography with mini Hot Shot cameras meant more candid and fun family albums.

Big Fun: The bubble gum whose claim to fame was its freebie cricket cards

Big Fun’s promotional strategy of giving sports cards with each bubble gum became an instant hit in the 1980s.

Devil’s in the detail: How Onida TV became a household name in the ’80s

Onida’s new TV came when the market was flooded by Sony, BPL and Videocon sets, but it brought home what none of the others could – neighbour’s envy.

India’s first ‘big’ bathing soap failed because it was OK

The ads for Tata's OK soap were hugely popular, but its name and branding let it down.

Before foreign cars came to India, there was foreign-looking Contessa that defined class

The first big, long car in the Indian market also seemingly created a class divide between those with Ambassadors and those who drove Contessa.

Indian Airlines defined flying for three generations post-Independence

Despite chronic delays and unexciting food, Indian Airlines was a brand Indians were close to.

On Camera

Why India fell off the global middle-class map

A stunted middle class may be a direct result of extreme inequality. Folks at the top don’t see teeming masses as a meaningful market, except for utilities, soap, short videos, and personal loans.

Antitrust watchdog Competition Commission to probe IndiGo flight disruptions

While the commission didn’t mention provisions under which IndiGo's market domination would be examined, Competition Act 2002 prohibits abuse of dominant position by any enterprise.

Israel has ‘realised who its real friend is’, eyes defence expansion in India amid arms curbs by others

It is argued that India-Israel ties are moving from buyer–seller dynamic to one focused on joint development & manufacturing partnership, a shift 'more durable' than traditional arms sales.

India’s top airline just handed sarkar the keys. That’s IndiGo’s real ‘crime’

Don’t blame misfortune. This is colossal incompetence and insensitivity. So bad, heads would have rolled even in the old PSU-era Indian Airlines and Air India.