MAM
ABBY Awards 2026 names Raj Kamble, Senthil Kumar, Niraj Ruparel as jury chairs
Industry veterans to lead Outdoor, Integrated and Technology categories
MUMBAI: The Ad Club has announced the appointment of three industry heavyweights as jury chairs for the ABBY Awards 2026, powered by The One Club and The One Show.
Raj Kamble will head the Outdoor category, Senthil Kumar will lead Integrated, while Niraj Ruparel takes charge of the Technology category.
Famous Innovations founder and CCO Kamble, brings over 25 years of global experience, having worked across markets including India, the UK and the US. Widely recognised as one of India’s most awarded advertising professionals, his portfolio includes campaigns for global brands such as Unilever, Google and Burger King, alongside a string of honours including Cannes Lions and One Show golds.
Kumar, a creative consultant and film director, is among the most decorated names in Indian advertising. With over 300 international awards to his credit, including multiple Cannes Lions and D&AD pencils, he has been instrumental in shaping some of the country’s most memorable campaigns and film work. His career spans leadership roles at leading agencies and projects ranging from brand launches to global documentaries.
Meanwhile, Ruparel, creative technology lead at WPP India, represents the growing convergence of creativity and technology. Known for pioneering work in AI, immersive experiences and inclusive tech, he has been at the forefront of building next-generation storytelling formats within the advertising ecosystem.
The ABBY Awards 2026 will be held as part of Goafest 2026 from May 20 to 22 at Taj Cidade de Goa Horizon, bringing together the industry’s top creative minds under one roof.
With a jury bench that blends creative legacy, storytelling craft and technological innovation, this year’s ABBYs look set to celebrate not just ideas, but the evolving ways in which they come to life.
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.
