MAM
Pearl Academy appoints Publicis India for creative mandate
MUMBAI: Leading educational institution, Pearl Academy, has mandated Publicis India to manage its brand and marketing communication efforts. The mandate, which was won via a multi-agency pitch, will be managed by the Delhi office of Publicis India.
As its communications partner, Publicis would assist in redefining brand strategy, positioning and related brand guidelines and also in the conceptual development and execution for projects as defined by mediums such as literature, marketing ATL and BTL activities, events, video assets among others. Pearl Academy partners with FDCI and ADI and stages some large scale events in the fashion and design space. Publicis would help in refreshing these.
Pearl Academy vice president of marketing Stuti Gandhi says, “Publicis India has demonstrated the attitude, aptitude and ability required to consolidate and amplify Pearl Academy’s brand promise and subsequent reach among students, parents and other stakeholders. As we celebrate our 25 years of creative impact this year and are looking ahead, we found Publicis scoring high on all our key criteria and hence the perfect fit to deliver on our strategic goals.”
Pearl Academy offers over 30 uniquely designed under graduate and post graduate courses through its campuses in Delhi, Mumbai, Noida and Jaipur.
On winning the mandate, Publicis Capital executive director Ravpreet Ganesh adds, “We are pleased to associate with Pearl Academy as their creative agency in India. As a leading institute offering a plethora of academic courses in creative domain, they have set a high benchmark that’s pivotal to their success in India. We look forward to partnering with them to further the brand authenticity and appeal and thus make their brand relevant and engaging across students, industry, partners and society as a whole.”
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.
