MAM
AOL claims an 85 per cent decline in spam activity
MUMBAI: Portal America Online (AOL) in the US says that as a result of a strong and sustained fight against spamming activity its members are increasingly enjoying a spam-free email experience.
AOL states that spam activity is down by more than 85 per cent on the service, as measured by member referrals, and AOL’s anti-spam filters are blocking more than 1.4 billion pieces of spam each day, as compared to a high of 2.4 billion messages blocked in a single day in 2003.
AOL has also recovered nearly $100,000 worth of gold bars and cash, as well as a fully-loaded 2003 Hummer H2, from a major spammer that AOL caught with the help of its members. The company attributes this success to its multi-pronged approach in fighting the scourge of spam, which includes a combination of software tools, filtering technology, public policy, litigation and enforcement, and industry partnership.
As a reward to AOL members, visitors to AOL.com and web users, the spammers’ ill-gotten loot is being given away through the AOL Spammer’s Gold Sweepstakes. Additionally, the company will donate tens of thousands of dollars worth of high-end computer equipment seized from this spammer to local public schools and school systems in Northern Virginia in the US.
The gold, cash and the Hummer were seized as part of the first lawsuit filed by AOL under the federal CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, and aided by AOL members who have used the “Report Spam” button to help AOL anti-spam, digital detectives investigate and snare one of the country’s most prolific spam gangs. In addition to these assets, AOL has also obtained a $13 million judgment in the case against the remaining members of the spam gang.
AOL chairman and CEO Jon Miller says, “The safety and security of our members is Job No. 1 at AOL. That means taking aggressive action against spammers and scammers. I am delighted that our efforts are paying off, literally, with the seizure of these assets and the sweepstakes. We are putting the brakes on spammers and celebrating our gold standard spam protections for the AOL service and the AIM Mail product at AOL.com. Our hard work in fighting spam is paying off in another way as well — since November 2003 when spam was at its peak, we’ve achieved a dramatic and hugely beneficial decline in the amount of spam reaching our members’ email boxes.”
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.
