MAM
Dentsu Aegis Network celebrates Diwali with philanthropic activities
MUMBAI: Dentsu Aegis Network has initiated the “Joy of Giving” week to celebrate Diwali not just amongst its own employees but even beyond.
As part of the initiative, Dentsu Aegis Network organised a week-long Diwali Mela across all its Mumbai offices, where NGOs were invited to set up stalls and showcase their artwork.
“Kitchen Re-fill” project was their second initiative this Diwali, as part of which, more than 300kgs of rice grains and 40kgs of pulses were donated to St. Francais, an orphanage located in Borivali (Mumbai).
Dentsu Aegis Network, SA, chairman and CEO Ashish Bhasin said, “At Dentsu Aegis Network, we consider it as our responsibility to spread knowledge and joy amongst our employees and also give back to the society. Everyone here is special and therefore, on this festive occasion, we decided to reach out to our employees and their kids and also engage with the less privileged children from the orphanage we support. The objective behind hosting this fun day was to celebrate the onset of Diwali with happiness and to make everyone feel at home in their second home, our office.”
In addition to the above, the Group also organised the “Newspapers Collection” drive for the NGO The Wasted Ones, which sells old newspapers and utilises the proceeds to provide meals to schools for the underprivileged children. Meanwhile, 30 children from Shelter Don Bosco were invited to Dentsu Aegis Network for a fun filled day on 9 November.
Dentsu Aegis Network’s Bangalore office conducted a blood donation drive and collected more than 50 bottles of blood. Employees also visited VKH Rainbow Home-Kodihalli Orphanage on 6 November to donate food grains and stationery.
The network’s Gurgaon office collected funds from its employees’ salary to provide gloves, socks, caps and notebooks to the underprivileged children, which is supported by the Sankalp Welfare Society.
In Kolkata, the Group’s employees decided to spend a few constructive hours with the boys of Dakshin Kalikata Sevasram, a home for the destitute.
Dentsu Aegis Network India CFO Anand Bhadkamkar added, “At Dentsu Aegis Network, we believe in creating an environment, which is not just responsible towards its employees and also the society and communities that we work in. As part of our Diwali celebrations, we decided to share the joy of festivities by partnering with various NGOs across offices, and thereby providing a platform to the Network employees to celebrate and share the joy of Diwali with socially and economically weaker sections of the society.”
MAM
VML India lands two finalist spots at Cairns Hatchlings 2026
The Mumbai agency is back in Australia with two teams, a UN brief and 24 hours to impress
MUMBAI: VML India is heading to Australia again. The Mumbai-based creative agency has secured two finalist spots at the Cairns Hatchlings 2026 competition, one in the Audio category and one in Design, making it the only Indian agency to have reached the finals in both editions of the contest since its launch in 2025.
Four people will make the trip. Senior copywriter Shilpi Dey and senior art director Raj Thakkar will compete in Audio. Art directors Shabbir and Shruti Negi will go head-to-head with the world’s best in Design. The finals take place at the Cairns Convention Centre from 13th May, culminating in an awards ceremony on 15th May.
The work that got them there is worth examining. For the Audio category, Dey and Thakkar tackled a brief for LIVE LIKE MMAD with a campaign called Inner Voice, Interrupted. Using spatial audio techniques, the campaign recreates the overwhelming self-doubt that descends after a long workday, physically panning negative thoughts left and right before cutting the noise entirely to reveal a confident inner voice. Strategically targeted at commuters via Spotify during evening rush hours, the campaign reframes the hours after work as an opportunity for personal growth and charitable action.
For the Design category, Shabbir and Negi worked on a brief for Canteen’s Bandanna Day, a campaign highlighting how cancer pushes teenagers out of their own defining moments. Using a pixelated design language to create stark contrast between a blurred world of isolation and a focused world of connection, the campaign, titled The Flipside of Cancer, shows teenagers fading into the background of birthdays, skateparks and school proms. As a Canteen bandanna appears, the blur flips and the teenager snaps back into sharp focus.
Kalpesh Patankar, group chief creative officer of VML India, made no attempt to disguise his satisfaction. “We are immensely proud to see our teams consistently excel on the Cairns Hatchlings platform since its inception,” he said. “They have masterfully tackled challenging briefs across diverse categories, demonstrating both layered storytelling and a unique creative approach. This exceptional teamwork is truly inspiring.”
Dey and Thakkar, returning to the finals after last year’s run, were candid about the demands of the audio medium. “It’s one of the most demanding mediums, where we only have a few seconds to capture a listener’s world with sound alone, so absolute clarity is essential,” they said. “The true measure of creative work is its ability to create positive change, and our audio submission was made to help those who need it most while encouraging people to silence the inner voices that hold them back.”
Shabbir and Negi, competing in Design for the first time, described the experience as “a completely different beast.” “We see it as an opportunity to showcase our expertise, raise the bar, and challenge ourselves in new ways, while also learning from creative minds from across the globe,” they said.
In Australia, the four finalists will face a live 24-hour brief from the United Nations before presenting in a live pitch session. Twenty-four hours, one brief, one shot. VML India has been here before. It knows exactly what is at stake.
