MAM
Subway India launches TVC for Chhota Sub
MUMBAI: Subway India has launched a TVC campaign to promote the newly launched Chhota Sub. The TVC revolves around the idea ‘Chhota Sub Khao, Aur Jo Marzi Le Aao’ in an entertaining way.
The TVC is centered around young college students. It highlights on how the new Chhota Sub, with its attractive price point, gives them a license to indulge in buying things from the savings made. In the film, a student is shown having Chhota Sub in the classroom. He takes out a fancy gadget to impress the girl sitting in front of him. The girl turns back and smiles at the boy. The film uses humor to drive home the point that the savings yielded by Chhota Sub could help realize other desires, whatever they be.
Chhota Sub is a 4-inch-mini submarine sandwich priced at Rs 85 inclusive of all taxes. It is available in Hara Bhara Kebab and Corn & Peas flavours as vegetarian options and Chicken Slice and Egg & Cheese as non-vegetarian options. The guests will have an option of making a Chhota Sub Combo by paying Rs 30 extra for the beverage.
Subway South Asia marketing head Shuchi Monga said, “We are committed to deliver great value to our guests without any compromise on the quality. With the launch of Chhota Sub we are offering four of our core sandwiches at a very lucrative price point. We are hoping to see new guests to come-in and have an experience of the brand.”
Conceptualized by Dentsu Impact, the campaign intends to highlight Subway’s new and affordable entry-level offering. Dentsu Impact national creative director Anupama Ramaswamy said, “There’s no denying the fact that we Indians are very value- conscious consumers. The Chhota Sub campaign, through light-hearted humour, looks at the world from the youngsters’ lens and how the new Chhota Sub, with its attractive
price point, gives them a license to indulge in buying things from the savings made.”
Happy Making Films Director Gaurav Kandpal said, “As the narrator, Vijay Raaz adds his inimitable sense of humour to the film. We have made the film look very realistic with the setting of a classroom and actors used. The challenge was to pack the drama in a tight sequence wherein a problem occurs and the protagonist, because of the Chhota Sub, gets to bask in the glory.”
The 360-degree campaign will be led by television and digital platforms including YouTube, Social, OTTs, Gaming Apps and popular Audio Apps. There is also a hashtag challenge which is being planned on TikTok. Subway leads the way in the quick service restaurant industry in terms of its product line-up which is traditionally deemed fresh and more nutritious. Subway India has been updating its look and feel with a new visual identity to align the experience with the expectation of the new-age guest.
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.
