MUMBAI: A throwaway LinkedIn comment sparked a campaign. What started as an impulsive online interaction soon snowballed into an ambitious creative pitch and eventually into a campaign that the parties say breaks every rule in the traditional advertising playbook.
When MuscleBlaze put out a call to creative agencies on LinkedIn, Adsto Media House didn’t just send a deck, they sent cinema. Among hundreds of pitches, their wild South Indian-style action showdown between globally acclaimed powerlifter from the United States, Larry Wheels, and breakout star from the KGF franchise, Garuda Ram, stood out with its pop-culture madness and full masala treatment.
Led by Media Entrepreneur and Artvertising Architect, Shivanand M. Lalwanai, Adsto Media House pushed creative and logistical boundaries. What set this project apart was the agency’s commitment to assembling a team based purely on merit, not familiarity or existing relationships. The diverse creative collective brought together breakthrough talent from across India’s media landscape to deliver a standout execution.
An intense production sprint followed as the team constructed an entire gym set in Delhi’s heat. The MuscleBlaze x Larry Wheels ft. Garuda Ram campaign the agency says is packed with cinematic intensity, dramatic beats, and masala moments. Its storytelling aimed to create an explosive, hilarious, over-the-top campaign that stands out in a sea of sameness. It isn’t just an ad says the agency. It is what the industry is calling ad cinema, exemplifying how modern advertising is evolving into pure entertainment properties.
“We wanted this to be a true homage to South Indian action cinema and not a parody. So every choice, from the music to the massy dialogues and slick action, was intentional. The real stunt, though, was squeezing all that into a tight runtime on a tight schedule. We must have done something right, to receive all the love.” said Ashwin Lakshmi Narayan, the director of the ad film.
“This project signals where advertising is heading; we’re not making ads anymore, we are creating entertainment properties. The response to that initial LinkedIn comment showed us there was appetite for something bigger, bolder, and more cinematic than the category had seen before,” said Shivanand M. Lalwani.
The campaign arrives at a pivotal moment for the advertising industry. Traditional 30-second spots are giving way to entertainment-grade content that competes directly with streaming and social media for audience attention. More significantly, the campaign’s LinkedIn origin story highlights how professional platforms are emerging as legitimate creative launching pads.
“More brands are looking at LinkedIn as a serious creative platform. It is where unexpected ideas can get traction and business conversations can turn into bold cultural moments. You never know when the next big campaign might begin taking shape with a simple comment,” explains Lalwani.
MuscleBlaze x Larry Wheels ft. Garuda Ram the agency added reflects a paradigm shift in how brands approach fitness marketing – trading traditional product demos for full-scale cinematic storytelling. It also represents the business of modern advertising where cultural insight, bold storytelling, and global-local synergy meet.
