Tata Play, India’s leading content distribution platform, has unveiled Coco, an AI-assisted puppy mascot designed to represent the brand across all consumer touchpoints. Created in collaboration with Ogilvy and Aesthetic Intelligence Labs, Coco is one of the first mascots in the Indian entertainment industry developed through a generative AI-driven creative workflow, covering character design, narrative development, and campaign production.
Coco embodies Tata Play’s brand personality—charming, curious, and clever—and will feature across television and digital platforms, the Tata Play Mobile App, and customer communication channels. His launch not only strengthens the brand’s visual identity but also ensures consistency across all touchpoints. This initiative represents a pioneering step in AI-augmented character storytelling, demonstrating how scalable, creative narratives can be brought to life using cutting-edge technology.
While Coco was initially crafted using traditional animation techniques, his production leveraged a hybrid workflow of 15+ AI tools, blending handcrafted artistry with generative AI, motion models, and custom visual logic engines. To overcome challenges such as inconsistent textures and expressions, the team developed a dedicated visual dataset of over 8,000 frames, allowing AI to replicate Coco’s emotional and physical range with remarkable precision. By strategically integrating AI, Tata Play enhanced speed, consistency, and scalability, creating a campaign that marries the richness of traditional animation with the accuracy and efficiency of modern AI.
This initiative underscores Tata Play’s forward-thinking approach to brand-building, merging creativity and technology while staying true to its promise of simplicity and ease of use. Through short-format films developed entirely with generative AI, the campaign introduces a fresh, humanized voice to product features, platform benefits, and service communication. Coco is not just a mascot; he is a consistent, emotionally engaging brand asset, designed to evolve alongside changing media behaviors. The project also demonstrates how a methodical application of AI can deliver scalable, high-impact storytelling without compromising authenticity.
Speaking about the campaign, Krishnendu Dasgupta, Head – Marketing Communications, Tata Play, said, “At Tata Play, innovation is always guided by one principle, to make the customer experience simpler, more intuitive and impactful. Our use of generative AI at this scale underscores our commitment to leveraging technology in ways that are not just efficient, but also creatively distinct. As consumer attention shifts across platforms and formats, our storytelling must evolve too. Coco is a step in that direction, designed to make Tata Play more relatable, memorable, and seamlessly present across every touchpoint. It reflects our belief that great technology must always make things simpler for the end consumer.”
Speaking about conceiving Coco’s stories, Sukesh Nayak, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy, said “The idea was to create an identity for Tata Play that is universally loved and instantly relatable. Coco was unanimously voted the perfect fit. Coco embodies the brand’s essence of being reliable, friendly, and always there when you need it. Through 20-second short and sweet stories, we have created moments of joy that showcase the features of the brand in a natural and engaging manner.”
“As technology continues to reshape the world of creative communication, Tata Play’s collaboration with us to bring Coco to life is a testament to the exciting potential of AI-driven storytelling. At Aesthetic Intelligence Lab, our focus is on blending artistry with cutting-edge technology, and Coco embodies this perfect fusion. By leveraging generative AI and a custom-trained visual dataset, we were able to push the boundaries of design fidelity and emotional resonance, ensuring that Coco not only captivates but also connects with audiences at a deeper level. This initiative demonstrates how technology can be fused with traditional mediums to create compelling, scalable narratives that remain authentic and emotionally engaging, revolutionizing the way brands communicate with their audiences,” said Carol Goyal, Executive Director, Aesthetic Intelligence Lab.
