MAM
DMAi 2014 Awards garners 218 plus entries in early bird phase
MUMBAI: The DMAi 2014 Createffect Awards that serve as a stepping stone to the prestigious DMA International ECHO competition since 1929, now in its third year in India recognise response marketing campaigns. This year has seen a 100 per cent growth in entries this year during the early bird period that ended on 10 April; 30 agencies and 75 plus leading brands are in fray now.
The number of categories as compared to last year are reduced and entries are now accepted only against an invitation code. These two processes were introduced to filter entries and reduce the workload of the Juries. Despite these barriers there is a significant increase this year due to direct entries from clients who are usually shy of entering awards and surge of interest from leading agencies to occupy center stage.
The association for Data Driven Marketing & Advertising India – DMAi (erstwhile Direct Marketing Association India) has seen renewed interest and growing popularity with the fraternity since its rechristening. Simultaneously the DMAi has entered into collaboration arrangement with the Ad Clubs at Mumbai & Bangalore. Under this arrangement Indian agencies that are members of the ad clubs will get a fast track entry at the DMAi Awards basis previous performance. All members of the said ad clubs get a rebate on applicable DMAi 2014 Awards fees.
Commenting on the strong participation during early bird stage, DMAi director & COO Shelly Singh said “Indian work is certainly merits to compete at Global stage. DMAi is providing relevant platforms to the fraternity and we are delighted to have the participation. The partnerships with Ad Clubs, provides their winners at the Abby’s, Emvies, Effies & Big Bang Awards in 2012 and 2013, meeting the DMAi 2014 Awards criteria, to fast track to round 2 of the DMAi Awards and also enjoy a 20% reduction in fee. India struck 8 metals at the international ECHO™ in 2013 – the highest by any country excluding USA and with the kind of work thats pouring in we are fierce defenders at the global tally.”
The other DMAi 2014 Awards partners include OgilvyOne for creative, Urja Interactive for Digital, Arvato and D&B for outreach. In addition, reputed trade media has also embraced the DMAi Awards program and is extending tactical support for the program communications.
“I have seen the awards grow over the years with the contributions by Ajay Chandwani as the Program Chair. Rakhshin Patel arriving as Jury Chair for 2014 has added renewed vigor to the program. Together we have been able to uncover the tip of the iceberg and the potential is immense. To harness this, DMAi is rolling out a new awards management system that aims to provide a high degree of experience for applicants, jury and the fraternity at large. The first-of-its -kind public viewing and voting system will allow the program to integrate with social channels and offer greater transparency. However, counts of the public voting are not considered towards deciding the winning entries and will be recognised separately as people’s choice awards.” added DMAi CEO Vatsal Asher .
Rakhshin Patel, a recent DMAi Hall of Fame inductee and industry veteran has taken on duties as Jury Chairperson this year and will oversee the Juries. The DMAi Awards has over 50+ industry leaders, client side marketers & practitioners on the Jury. The deadline for regular entries is Apr 14. Rush entries can be registered till Apr 21. Submissions will be accepted from Apr 17 and remain open till Apr 26, 18:00 Hrs. The Jury meets in the afternoon of on Apr 28 to commence judging. The results will be announced at an Awards gala on May 7 at Mumbai. The DMAi agency of the year will also be announced at the same awards gala. The defending champions from 2013 are OgilvyOne.
Gold winners at the DMAi 2014 CREATEFFECT Awards have the option to progress to Round 2 at the DMA International ECHO™ Competition on payment of applicable fees and compete with the world’s best.
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.
