What’s the hook?
In advertising, that question has always mattered. It has been central to any idea, any campaign. In 2026, it may be the question that matters most.
NDTV Profit has launched The Hook, a sharp new show that examines advertising, marketing, brands, creators, culture, technology and the fast-changing business of influence. The show will be anchored by NDTV’s Alex Mathew and Aayush Ailawadi, who will decode the ideas, campaigns and brand moves that break through in an economy where attention is scarce, consumers are restless, and every scroll is already a marketplace.
The launch at Goafest was marked by a special session, “All About Ads: The Hook Between Attention, Emotion and Recall.” The discussion was led by Rahul Kanwal, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, NDTV, with Alex Mathew, Associate Executive Editor, NDTV Profit, bringing together influential industry voices including Darshana Shah, Seasoned Marketing Professional; Rana Barua, Group Chief Executive Officer, Havas India, Southeast Asia and North Asia (Japan and South Korea); Rohit Kapoor, Chief Executive Officer, Swiggy; and Sam Balsara, Chairman, Madison World. The session explored what it takes for ideas to cut through clutter and stay with audiences in a highly competitive attention landscape.
The show marks a contemporary return to a space NDTV owned, with All About Ads, one of Indian television’s most recognised shows on advertising and marketing. At a time when the industry was still finding its language on television, All About Ads became an influential voice for brands, agencies and the advertising fraternity. The Hook carries that legacy forward for a new marketing age — one shaped by reels, algorithms, creators, AI, data, culture and consumers who decide in seconds whether a brand deserves their attention.
The word of advertising has changed. Dramatically. Every creator is a media channel, every platform is a storefront, every consumer is a data point, and every campaign is judged almost instantly. Yet, the larger conversation around marketing often remains fragmented – driven by buzzwords, metrics and momentary trends, but short on clarity, context and credible analysis. The Hook has been created to fill that space.
The show examines what makes modern marketing work – not only the size of the budget or the face of the celebrity, but the insight behind the idea, the cultural tension it captures, the consumer behaviour it understands, and the business outcome it delivers. From AI in advertising and the creator economy to personalisation, performance marketing, platform wars, Bharat-first storytelling and culture-led branding, The Hook looks at advertising as a serious business of persuasion, memory and meaning.
Speaking on the launch, Rahul Kanwal, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, NDTV, said, ‘NDTV has had a long association with the advertising and marketing community, and All About Ads was an important part of that journey. With The Hook, we are taking that legacy into a very different media moment. The world of advertising today is no longer only about campaigns and visibility; it is about culture, technology, influence and trust. NDTV Profit will bring intelligence, sharpness and credibility to this conversation, and examine why some ideas travel, why some brands endure, and why some campaigns become part of popular culture.’
Unlike conventional studio conversations, The Hook goes where marketing actually happens – inside agency war rooms, brand offices, creator spaces, campaign shoots, live events, activations and consumer environments. The show brings together CMOs, brand leaders, creative thinkers, media planners, digital disruptors, influencers, content creators, technology leaders and platform voices.
Speaking about the idea behind the show, Aayush Ailawadi said, ‘The biggest campaign is not always the best campaign. The real power lies in the hook – that one sharp truth, emotion, tension or idea that makes people stop, watch, remember and respond. In a world of reels, AI and endless content, originality and authenticity have become the real premium. That is what this show will look for.’
On the show’s approach, Alex Mathew said, ‘Every brand wants attention, but attention without a hook disappears quickly. This show will ask what makes a campaign memorable, measurable, and meaningful. We will look at advertising not just as creativity, but as business strategy, consumer behaviour, data, media and culture coming together.’
The Hook will start streaming soon as a fortnightly digital-first show with a television episode on NDTV Profit, amplified across NDTV’s digital and social platforms through short-form clips and select deep dives.
All About Ads decoded an earlier era of advertising. The Hook takes that conversation into the age of attention.
In a world where everyone is trying to be seen, The Hook asks what truly gets audiences hooked.