MAM
Ad Asia: India team leader Kataria has in-depth understanding of market dynamics, says Nayak
MUMBAI: The Advertising Council of India (ACI) & The Advertising Club have announced the appointment of Sunil Kataria, Business head, Godrej Consumer Products as leader of the Indian delegation for the AdAsia Congress to be held in Bali. The 30th edition of the esteemed media and advertising awards organized bi-annually by the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA) will see global marketing and creative industry practitioners be a part of the ideas exchange platform.
Asian Federation of Advertising Associations vice chairman and Advertising Council of India representative K Srinivasan said “Ad Asia is a great forum for the Indian creative and media maestros to interact with other global practitioners on evolving industry trends. Having someone which such rich and versatile multi-functional and sectoral experience as Sunil Kataria lead the Indian delegation is sure to ensure that the India delegation plays an inspiring and impactful role at the congress.”
The Advertising Club president Raj Nayak said: “India has been at the forefront of some ground-breaking and high impact media campaigns. A coveted knowledge platform like Ad Asia 2017 is a great place to showcase the immersive and transformational work being done by the India media and advertising diaspora. With Sunil helming the Indian delegation, we are sure to receive the best representation at the form. Sunil with his in-depth understanding of the Indian market dynamics and global trends in sure to add significant value to the Indian delegation.”
Kataria said “I am honored to be nominated to lead the Indian contingent to the prestigious congress. The forum is a great platform for the fraternity to network with global creative leads and jam on media and marketing trends in the new social paradigm that we are currently in. We hope to have significant Indian representation at the event and would hence urge maximum participation by corporates at the event.”
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.
