Gurugram, Nov 02: Spinny, India’s used-car platform, has released a six-part series with creator Akash Srivastava, whose Manki Vlogger channel features AI-animated characters Manki Bhai, Monkesh and their friends. The series follows the group as they debate whether to buy a new or pre-owned car and has crossed 16 million views across its six episodes on Instagram.
Buying a car in India is rarely one person’s decision. One family member wants a bigger car, another is working out the EMI, and someone else has advice to offer. The series turns that familiar household debate into an episodic story.
Rather than a single film, Spinny worked with an established creator and his existing characters to tell the story over six short episodes. After three cancelled cabs and too much luggage, the group sets off by train from Banaras to Lucknow in search of a car. Manki Bhai wants a big SUV, Tau is focused on the EMI, Dada offers his wisdom, and Dogesh has his own priorities. Their search ends at a Spinny Park in Lucknow, where they settle on a pre-owned Toyota Innova Crysta, and the series closes with the car arriving home to a coconut-breaking ceremony. Rather than a conventional ad, the six episodes let the new-versus-pre-owned debate play out through the characters’ disagreements and everyday moments.
Akash Srivastava, creator of Manki Vlogger, said,
“I’d actually thought about buying a car from Spinny myself, so it’s lovely to see my characters get there before me. Working with Spinny, we wanted to bring Manki and his friends’ everyday adventures to life through humour and moments people recognise.”
The brand appears inside the story rather than as an interruption, and the new-versus-pre-owned question is explored through the characters’ disagreements, not a product pitch.
Campaign at Glance
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Format: six-episode AI-character series
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Creator: Akash Srivastava (Manki Vlogger), Lucknow
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Platform: Instagram
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Release window: October 16 to 23, 2026
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Results: 16+ million views across six episodes, with a total engagement of 6.7 lakh+ total engagements, 5 out of 6 videos crossed 1M views
For Manki Bhai and his friends, the journey began in Banaras and ended with a car of their own - and, if Dogesh has his way, plenty of snacks for the next trip.
