AD Agencies
Neha Kakkar pays Tribute to Friendship with Mindshare, Y-Films & Brooke Bond Red Label’s 6 Pack Band 2.0
MUMBAI: Neha Kakkar, one of the most popular singers of this generation, known for her chartbusters like Chull, Kaala Chashma, London Thumakda and more has now extended support for mental health & disability by cutting a new single with a special needs band. The band created by Mindshare & Yash Raj Film’s youth wing Y-Films, titled Brooke Bond Red Label 6-Pack Band 2.0 comprises 6 differently abled teens with incredible music skills. And the track, ‘The Isspeshal Yaar Song’ celebrates the friends who stand by you in times of need and otherwise.
Speaking about her collaboration, Neha said, “When I was first introduced to the band, I couldn’t believe the talent that I saw. They are such sweet kids, filled with innocence. In the few hours that I spent with them, all I remember was being happy. I wish our whole world was filled with isspeshal friends like these, then it would certainly be a much better place!”
Mindshare India, President, Client Leadership, Amin Lakhani added, “The third song in the life of 6 Pack Band 2.0 is a heartening take on friendship. Despite the fact that the society turns a blind eye towards these special kids, especially at the playground, these kids always find a way to make friends. This celebration of true friendship is stupendously encapsulated in Neha Kakkar’s melodious voice and the sweet moments of fun and fulfillment between our 6 lovely band members. I’m sure this song will give you goosebumps and would encourage everyone to take that first step of friendship towards these truly ‘Isspecial’people!
Reiterating Brooke Bond Red Label’s commitment to this inclusive initiative, Hindustan Unilever, General Manager, Beverages, Shiva Krishnamurthy said, “With each new song, Brooke Bond Red Label 6-Pack Band 2.0 is highlighting a relevant and significant aspect about the differently abled. This resonates with Brooke Bond Red Label’s credo of celebrating togetherness irrespective of gender, age, ability or disability. Everyone needs friends, so saluting friendships with these talented young people is special for us too.”
The music video for the song was made special courtesy a trip to the fantastic Imagica Adlabs Amusement Park. The band with their best friends spent a day on rides, attractions and more. From rollercoasters, Gold Rush Express, Tubby Take Off to the newly opened celebrity museum, Snow Park and yummy food to boot, it became the perfect location to celebrate friendship. Adlabs Imagica, Director, Mrs. Pooja Shetty Deora, added, “We are proud to have hosted the kids from the 6 Pack Band 2.0 and their friends during this shoot, it was a lot of fun and learning. We must make space for those that are differently abled to have a society that is fair and equal to all.”
The music video directed by ace Bollywood choreographer Adil Shaikh is triggered by the insight that often the biggest challenges people with special needs face, are not in the classroom, but on the playground. That of making friends and keeping them. That’s why those who stick it out with them, and stand up for them are isspeshal. So the video features photographs of people with special needs with their best friends from around the world including Singapore, US, UK, Australia and various parts of India. Some of the special needs children, in fact, even just sent in a picture with their pet as they considered them their best friends.
Head of Y-Films, Ashish Patil said, “We couldn’t have found a better yaar than the supremely talented Neha Kakkar to make this 6 Pack Band 2.0 song even more isspeshal. Neha helped us celebrate those isspeshal friends from across the globe who help make this world a better place!”
Mindshare & Y-Films ka Brooke Bond Red Label Band 2.0 features Ananya, Anjali, Maitreya, Parth, Prerna & Rishaan. The songs are written by Kumaar and composed by Shameer Tandon who is also the curator of the project. 6-Pack Band 2.0 is conceived & produced by Ashish Patil and this is their 3rd single and music video. The songs are showcased on Y-Films’ YouTube channel and available on all popular music platforms. Their previous collaborations include a launch by Karan Johar and a collaboration with Vishal Dadlani. There are 3 more singles to follow. Hopefully this campaign will help take one step forward in creating greater awareness for mental health & disability and push people to take the effort to make friends with people with special needs.
AD Agencies
Publicis Brazil’s creative chief Mauro Ramalho lands the jury chair at Abby Awards 2026
Mauro Ramalho brings 25 years of global advertising firepower to the new creative commerce, use of data and B2B category at Goafest
GOA: The Abby Awards 2026, powered by The One Club and The One Show, has appointed Mauro Ramalho, chief creative officer of Publicis Brazil, as jury chair for its newly launched creative commerce, use of data and B2B category. The announcement, made on 18 March, signals the awards’ intent to bring serious international muscle to a category that sits squarely at the intersection of creativity and commercial performance.
Ramalho is not a name that needs much introduction in global advertising circles. Over 25 years spanning three countries, he has worked at some of the industry’s most creatively restless addresses. At AKQA in San Francisco, he worked across McDonald’s, Nike, Fox, Target, Kraft Foods and GAP, and helped lead “The Lost Ring” for McDonald’s, one of the first alternate reality campaigns and among the most awarded projects of its era. He later moved to Organic in Toronto, bridging the Detroit and Toronto offices on Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler, before spending over a decade building CUBOCC into one of Brazil’s most iconic and innovative independent agencies, which subsequently joined the IPG network.
A stint at FCB followed, where Ramalho led integrated work bridging online and offline, before he joined R/GA São Paulo as vice-president and executive creative director, stitching together the São Paulo office with New York, London, Portland and California on global clients including Verizon, Google, Meta, Samsung, American Express and Heineken. He now heads Publicis Brazil as its chief creative officer.
His trophy cabinet includes Clios, Effies, TikTok awards and MMA Smarties, and he has served on juries at the Andys, TikTok and the Lisbon Awards.
The Abby Awards 2026 is scheduled to take place at Goafest 2026 on 20, 21 and 22 May in Goa.
For Indian advertising, landing a jury chair of Ramalho’s calibre for a category built around data-driven creativity and commerce is a statement of ambition. Goafest just raised its own bar.
