AD Agencies
Maddys 2025 celebrates creativity with record entries and global reach
MUMBAI: The Advertising Club Madras proudly announced the successful completion of the 43rd edition of Maddys, presented by Dinamalar and powered by Peps, marking a grand celebration of creativity, media, digital, design and strategy under the theme “AI vs AI: Awesome Ideas vs Awesome Ideas.”
The gala evening brought together the best of India’s creative, digital, and media industries and witnessed one of the most competitive editions in the award’s storied history, with 929 entries across 155 categories from over 106 agencies and clients spanning India and Nepal.
Advertising Club Madras, secretary, Surej Salim said, “Maddys 2025 was an incredible celebration of ideas that inspire culture and transform businesses. Congratulations to all the winners whose creativity continues to be the heartbeat of our industry.”
Demonstrating its credibility and fairness, Maddys 2025 employed a two-stage judging process, with each entry independently scored by at least three jurors in the first round and then deliberated upon in the second round by panels chaired by respected leaders, under the guidance of eight jury chairs, 27 industry experts, and jury convenor and process auditor Gokul Krishnamoorthy.
This rigorous system resulted in 340 shortlisted entries and ultimately 184 awards, including four Grand Prix, 31 gold, 61 silver, 76 bronze, and 12 special recognitions across creative, media, digital, design, print, film, and audio categories, making this year’s edition a milestone in scale and competitiveness.
With its legacy of 68 years and an active calendar of more than 50 programmes in just the past two years ranging from adtalks to student initiatives, the Advertising Club Madras reaffirmed its role as a driving force in the creative ecosystem, and through Maddys 2025, proved once again that this is where legends begin.
AD Agencies
ABBY Awards 2026 names Rajdeepak Das, Khazanchi, Ramaswamy jury chairs
Top creative leaders to steer judging across film and direct categories
MUMBAI: The Ad Club has announced the appointment of three of India’s most prominent creative leaders as jury chairs for the ABBY Awards 2026, powered by The One Club.
Rajdeepak Das, chief creative officer, South Asia, Publicis Groupe and chairman, South Asia, Leo Burnett, will chair the AV Film (TV) category. Ashish Khazanchi, managing partner at Enormous, will lead the AV Film (Digital and OTT) jury, while Anupama Ramaswamy, managing director and chief creative officer at Havas Creative India, takes charge of the Direct category.
The trio brings a mix of creative firepower and industry experience to the judging table. Das is known for blending creativity with technology to solve real-world problems, with landmark campaigns such as Whisper’s “Touch the Pickle” and “Missing Chapter” helping reshape conversations around menstrual health. His work has earned top honours at global platforms including Cannes Lions and The One Show.
Khazanchi, meanwhile, has built Enormous into one of India’s leading independent agencies. Best known for creating Tata Sky’s “Jingalala” campaign, he has played a key role in shaping brand narratives for both legacy companies and startups, picking up hundreds of awards along the way.
Ramaswamy’s appointment rounds off the leadership trio with a strong focus on culturally resonant creativity. Her campaign “Ink of Democracy” became one of the most awarded works globally in 2025, earning multiple honours across Cannes Lions, Clio and Spikes Asia. Over the years, she has built a reputation for work that not only wins awards but also shapes public discourse.
The appointments come as the ABBY Awards continue to sharpen their global positioning, with backing from The One Club adding international heft to the platform.
The awards will be held during Goafest 2026 from May 20 to 22 at Taj Cidade de Goa Horizon, bringing together the industry’s top creative minds for what promises to be a closely watched showcase of ideas.
With heavyweight jury chairs in place, the stage is set for a high-stakes celebration of creativity where craft, culture and commerce collide.
