India, July 11 -- Last Sunday, the pharmaceutical firm Mankind, splashed the ad for its condom brand Manforce on the front page of newspapers with the line "Smell this ad to enjoy the scent of love" with readers getting whiffs of fragrance from their daily. Earlier, Samsung promoted its mobile phone Galaxy S25 Ultra in newspaper ads with a QR code enabling readers to scan and experience the AI-powered product. Recently, two other buzzy print ads by Instamart and Flipkart Minutes used special inks - one which changed colour under sunlight and another which was water-activated.

The recent spate of print media ads has been innovative, interactive and engaging, thanks to increased availability and affordability of technology, said Mona Jain,...