MAM
EC to screen govt ads; PM photo on hoardings disallowed
NEW DELHI: Even as the Election Commission has set up committees to screen and clear government advertisements in various forms in the five poll-bound states, it has asked the cabinet secretary to remove the prime minister Narendra Modi’s photograph from hoardings at petrol pumps in Goa and gas consumer certificates in Uttarakhand.
These committees will examine all ads including those for audio-visual media including television and radio.
“The Commission had received a complaint that, in Goa, hoardings with photographs of the prime minister were displayed at petrol pumps. The Commission had issued necessary directions on 6 January,” said a letter to the cabinet secretary.
The Commission said it had also received a press clipping showing that certificates bearing the prime minister’s photograph were being distributed by oil companies to the LPG consumers in Uttarakhand who had surrendered gas subsidy.
“This is not permissible under the Model Code of Conduct or under the ECI instructions. You are requested to ensure that the instructions are brought to the notice of all concerned for strict compliance in letter and spirit,” the Commission said.
Earlier this week, the EC had reminded all concerned about its 2004 order that government-funded advertisements which publicise achievements of political functionaries or parties violate the Model Code of Conduct guidelines.
The Commission had said the posters that publicise achievements of political parties or their functionaries should be either removed or covered suitably in the poll-bound states. Only those government hoardings with general messages on social welfare schemes and awareness campaigns are allowed.
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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.
