Toying with Magic: My Journey with Hamleys at Reliance Brands

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 Some jobs fill your calendar. Others fill your soul.

For me, Hamleys wasn’t just another brand—it was a canvas, a carnival, a creative playground, and a wild, chaotic love story I’ll always come back to with a smile.

When I joined Reliance Brands Limited, the assignment was clear: elevate Hamleys—the world’s finest toy store—into a living, breathing experience that kids would dream about and parents would never forget. But the journey? That was anything but ordinary.

From launching flagship stores across the country to orchestrating Nerf gun battles in malls, every campaign I worked on was more than just marketing—it was performance art. Whether it was building Dinosaur Zones and Space Zones inside Hamleys, bringing characters like Minions and Trolls to life, or running madcap birthday return gift counters, each project demanded the perfect blend of strategy, theatre, and childlike curiosity. And I was all in.

One day I was planning a footfall-driving activation in Rajkot, the next I was knee-deep in organizing an in-store carousel ride priced at ₹200, figuring out how to make it feel priceless to the child. From SMS campaigns to guerrilla marketing ideas, I played across every format, touching ATL, BTL, digital, and experiential.

But beneath the bright lights and bubble guns, there were lessons. I learned how to manage chaos with a straight face, how to lead teams without killing the fun, and how to keep the magic alive—even when the numbers needed to make sense.

Reliance gave me scale. Hamleys gave me heart. And together, they gave me a platform to blend data with delight, strategy with storytelling, and planning with play.

Looking back, it’s not just the campaigns I remember—it’s the squeals of children, the wide-eyed wonder, and those quiet moments after a successful event where we knew we had created something meaningful.

Hamleys reminded me of what marketing is really about: emotion.
If a child walked away smiling, I knew we had done our job.


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