MAM
Argentine soccer star Messi is Turkish Airlines’ global brand ambassador
MUMBAI: International soccer star Leo Messi was named Global Brand Ambassador for Turkish Airlines after signing the agreement in September 2012.
The FC Barcelona forward joins the ranks of Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and professional tennis player Caroline Wozniacki who have been brand ambassadors since 2011 and 2010 respectively.
Messi said, “I would like to thank to Turkish Airlines because it’s a great honor for me to be the brand ambassador of such a fast growing among the world’s biggest and Europe’s Best Airline company. I believe that by joining with a global network company such as Turkish Airlines, we will set to sign many more successful projects. As an Argentinian, I am happy Turkish Airlines is having another destination Buenos Aires from Istanbul.”
Turkish Airlines Member of the Board, Ismail Gercek said, “We have held the title of Europe’s Best Airline now for two consecutive years and it makes perfect sense that we align ourselves with the best and most recognizable sports figures in the word. Signing a global sports star like Messi only solidifies our leading position as one of the world’s fastest growing airlines flying to a record number of countries across the globe.”
In September 2012, Messi shot a commercial for the airline with Kobe Bryant. In the airlines’ latest commercial, the duo –competes to win the attention of a young boy. The latest commercial was a collaborative effort among producers, actors and crew members from Turkey, the Netherlands, Spain and the US. Shot partly at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport and partly in other countries abroad, the commercial will air worldwide late this year.
In working with Leo Messi, Turkish Airlines will maintain a global focus promoting its award-winning service. Having been named Fifa Best Player in the last three seasons and currently being a finalist for this year’s Fifa player of the year, Messi’s visibility and worldwide popularity will be instrumental in helping Turkish Airlines reach new heights on a global scale.
Aside from this recent announcement, Turkish Airlines has reached several milestones in recent months including adding the 200th aircraft to its growing fleet and flying to 92 countries, more than any other airline in the world.
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.
