MAM
Ajay Kakar takes over as country head of Ogilvy PR
NEW DELHI: Ajay Kakar has been appointed as the country head of Ogilvy Public Relations. Kakar, who will also continue to be the executive director and head of finance practice, O&M India, was previously involved with one of the core practices of Ogilvy PR.
He succeeds Mahnaz Curmally, who retired after being involved with Ogilvy PR for a decade. “I have just taken over as the country head of Ogilvy PR, though I was partnering the consultancy for the last few months. I was previously involved with one of five core practices of Ogilvy PR, in corporate and finance. Now I would be responsible for the entire operations, which would be an additional responsibility,” said Kakar.
Ogilvy PR Worldwide chief executive Asia Pacific, Mathew Anderson said, “Ajay brings rare experience; he is a valued counselor to top executives, he understands PR within a broad framework of communications and he is a caring leader of people. His decision to take on the leadership of PR reflects how PR will develop as a specialist function.”
“In addition to our offices in India, we have an office in Colombo. Ajay’s main focus will be on India,” answered Anderson, in reply to operations in southern part of Asia.
On the Indian operations, he added, “In terms of potential, India will benefit enormously from more systematic linkages to our centres of excellence around the region and world. Combining unique aspects of India, with the latest thinking in such areas as brand protection, senior executive coaching, CSR and public affairs will make India one of the
world’s most interesting markets for PR.”
Anderson feels that there is also a substantial market for working with headquarters of multinationals outside India and helping them with the lifecycle of communications needs as their commitments to India grows.
“On the domestic side, one factor we have been paying attention to is the fact that the cost of capital for Indian companies has dropped significantly. This will propel more investment in production and in expansion outside of India. Both of these factors will create demand for higher end corporate positioning,” concluded Anderson.
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.
