MAM
MS Dhoni hosts Allen Online’s Rise to the Top
Series explores ambition beyond ranks and results
NATIONAL: Swapping the dressing room for the studio, MS Dhoni has stepped into a new role as host of Rise to the Top, a multi-episode student conversation series launched by Allen Online.
The series, now streaming on Allen Online’s youtube channel, seeks to move the spotlight away from rank lists and scorecards to the human stories behind academic success. Rather than interrogating study timetables, Dhoni steers conversations towards ambition, doubt, family support and the turning points that shape young lives.
The opening episode, titled Sapne Dekho, features Sekh Galib Raza from rural Odisha and Arpita Ghosh from a remote village in West Bengal. Both are now enrolled in government medical colleges, having navigated social, financial and personal hurdles along the way.
For Ghosh, the ambition to study medicine is entwined with her father’s long-held dream. Raised in a village where few girls pursue higher education, she speaks of family encouragement and a determination to return as her community’s first doctor. Raza traces his calling to childhood visits to a local hospital with his mother, where he observed doctors calming anxious families. Despite health setbacks and multiple attempts, he eventually secured admission to a government medical college.
Allen Online CEO Rakesh Ranjan, said the idea behind the series was to foreground the journeys that shape students rather than merely the outcomes that define them. Having Dhoni at the helm, he argued, adds a layer of lived experience around handling pressure and expectation.
AD Agencies
WPP and Ogilvy top the global charts as India joins the creative elite: Warc rankings
A record five-year streak for Ogilvy while India secures a top five global spot
MUMBAI: The global advertising world has a familiar king, but a new powerhouse is gatecrashing the palace. In the latest Warc Creative 100 rankings, the industry’s definitive audit of excellence, WPP has once again been crowned the top holding company. Not to be outdone, its crown jewel, Ogilvy, has secured the top network spot for a staggering fifth consecutive year.
It is a “five-peat” that proves Ogilvy’s creative engine is not just running but purring. While many networks rely on one or two superstar offices to carry the load, Ogilvy’s dominance is a team effort across the globe. Hot on their heels is sister agency VML, which took the silver medal for networks, ensuring a WPP clean sweep at the very top of the podium.
The biggest noise, however, is coming from the East. India has officially vaulted into the top five most creative nations on Earth. Once viewed primarily as a back-office for production, the country is now a front-row leader in imagination. Driven by the brilliance of agencies like Ogilvy Mumbai and Leo Burnett India, the nation is proving that its work does more than just look good on a trophy shelf. In a market where every rupee must work twice as hard, Indian campaigns are blending high-concept artistry with ruthless commercial effectiveness.
The individual accolades saw Heineken toast to success as the top brand, finally knocking Apple off its perch. Unilever remains the world’s most awarded advertiser, proving that big business can still have a big heart through its work for Dove and Vaseline.
The title of the world’s most creative campaign went to Publicis Conseil Paris for their AXA “Three Words” initiative. By subtly adding “and domestic violence” to insurance policies to provide immediate relocation cover, the agency proved that the best advertising doesn’t just sell a service, it provides one.
The 2026 rankings also signal a shift in the industry’s DNA. The era of boring business-to-business marketing is dead, with B2B campaigns cracking the top ten for the first time. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence has moved past the gimmick stage. The winners this year used tech not for the sake of a trend, but to drive genuine human emotion.
Whether it is Paris providing a safety net for the vulnerable or India redefining the global creative order, the message from this year’s Warc rankings is clear. The best work in the world is no longer just about catching the eye, it is about changing the world.
