On October 4, 2025 at Jio World Garden in Mumbai hosted the Bollywood Music Project, with the crowd grooving to a lineup of popular Bollywood singers.
During his set, Shankar Mahadevan had the audience going ‘Breathless’ when, suddenly, he paused mid-performance. Above the stage, a flying LED appeared, announcing Cadbury’s new product line, Cadbury Celebrations Fusions. On stage, Mahadevan turned into the brand ambassador of the brand, ate the chocolates, and delivered the tagline of the brand, ‘Kuch meetha ho jaye.’
For many in the audience, it was an unexpected interruption; they had come for music, not marketing. While Cadbury Celebrations was the on-ground sponsor, such promotions were expected, but few would have anticipated it happening right in the middle of a live performance.
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A similar incident occurred during Himesh Reshammiya’s Cap-Mania concert in Delhi on July 19, 2025. Midway through his performance, Reshammiya paused and reached into his pocket for a Vicks lozenge. Without missing a beat, he popped it into his mouth and delivered the brand’s tagline: ‘Vicks ki goli lo, khich khich door karo.’
In this case, Vicks was also the sponsor of Himesh Reshammiya's Cap-Mania tour.
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This trend isn’t limited to musicians; stand-up comedians are also weaving brand promotions into their sets. Comedians like Gaurav Kapoor for Urban Company and Aashish Solanki for Jeevansathi have integrated brand messages into their performances.
By mentioning the brand multiple times during their comedy set, they create strong recall value, often without the audience realising they are being advertised to, as the promotion comes wrapped in entertainment.
For the live audience, it’s often unclear that these are branded promotions rather than part of the performance itself. Additionally, there are no clear guidelines governing how this type of advertising is conducted or the processes involved.
Regarding the fees these artists charge, sources say the cost of such brand associations depends on the stature of the performer. For music performers, it typically starts at around ₹40–50 lakh and can go up to ₹7–8 crore. In some cases, these live promotions are bundled as part of the overall brand deal with the artist.
Sabbas Joseph, Co-founder and Director at Wizcraft Group, says the advantage of integrating brands with live events is that the brand becomes part of the content itself. With advertising cluttered across channels and digital platforms, live events offer a unique opportunity for brands to integrate directly and become part of the stage action.
Joseph points out that, given the high cost of organising such events, ticket sales alone cannot cover expenses. When a sponsor or brand provides financial support, it benefits everyone. For the audience, these brand integrations are rarely disruptive; they are often entertaining, with artists making the moments engaging and interactive.
However, Joseph emphasises that these activations must be carefully planned and curated, rather than just stopping the performance to plug a product.
He adds, “For instance, if Shankar Mahadevan says imagine if everyone in the audience also received a Cadbury at that exact moment, it completely transforms the experience. Thoughtful integration is the key.”
Bhairav Shanth, Co-founder of ITW Universe, the agency behind Lemonn’s activation at Diljit Dosanjh’s Delhi concert, where a person dressed as a lemon danced alongside the singer, says that branding has become unavoidable at live events.
“Most people attending these events expect some level of branding or marketing activity around them,” Shanth explains. “However, there has to be a balance; overloading the experience with too many branded moments can cheapen the act or the performance itself. Brand fatigue comes from overexposure, and that’s what both brands and artists need to guard against. The key is to do something fresh and use it sparingly.”
Vedang Jain, Director at Prachar Communications, believes that it all comes down to executing the right timing, the right artist, and the right audience. These integrations don’t compromise authenticity unless done poorly. For instance, Himesh Reshammiya promoting Vicks fits naturally with his nasal singing style and the brand’s positioning. But a Hajmola plug mid-performance would feel forced.
“The key lies in strategic alignment: the right brand, artist, audience, and moment,” he highlights.
Yasin Hamidani, Director at Media Care Brand Solutions, believes audiences are open to brand integrations as long as they feel entertaining and relevant.
He explains that fatigue sets in when repetition replaces creativity. “The difference lies in intent; if the act feels like a performance first and a promotion second, people embrace it. But when that balance flips, skepticism sets in quickly,” he says.
Future of experiential marketing
Is this the future of experiential marketing, where every act or stage moment turns into a branded experience? With brands increasingly blending into performances and artists integrating products seamlessly into their acts, the line between entertainment and advertising is getting thinner.
What once was a clear distinction between the stage and sponsorship is now merging, as marketers look for new ways to capture attention in a cluttered media landscape. The question now is not whether branding will enter live experiences, but how far it will go before the audience begins to feel the difference.
Hamidani says experiential marketing is evolving into contextual participation. Brands today seek more than visibility; they want meaningful moments that connect emotionally with audiences.
He adds that live performances offer that immediacy and impact, but the future, he adds, isn’t about branding every act. It’s about subtly blending into culture, with the best integrations enhancing the audience experience rather than interrupting it.
Jain says this isn’t just the future of experiential marketing, it’s already the present. He points out that the trend is unfolding globally, with major musicians and bands incorporating brand integrations at events like Coachella and their own concerts.
“It’s clearly becoming the norm,” he adds, noting that with the rise in concert attendance and live events, this form of marketing is here to stay.
Bryan Louis, Associate Account Director, White Rivers Media, says there’s a fine line between storytelling and selling, it’s the moment when a story stops serving the audience and starts serving the logo. That’s where creativity turns into commerce.
He adds that the most powerful collaborations are those where the brand elevates the narrative rather than hijacking it. “Audiences don’t mind branded content if it feels honest and stays true to the artist’s voice,” he says. “The story should lead, and the brand should follow.”
Nath adds that stage integrations are simply an evolution of long-standing product placements in shows and films. The real creative challenge, he says, lies in how a brand is woven in. “Even if people notice the brand, they’ll appreciate it if it’s done cleverly or creatively. Audiences love feeling smart for decoding something subtle or charmed by something genuinely delightful,” he highlights.
While integrations happen during live events, the larger goal for brands is to engage the digital audience that watches the clips later. The real impact lies in the online buzz, social media chatter, media coverage, and the extended visibility that follows. The live audience often becomes the backdrop, while digital viewers are the true target. Essentially, brands are now scripting moments meant to live and trend long after the show ends. As live performances and brand integrations continue to merge, the line between entertainment and advertising is blurring, but when done thoughtfully, it creates win-win moments for artists, audiences, and brands alike.
