MAM
Armed with new logo, Kinetic kickstarts Italiano Series
BANGALORE: Two wheeler company Kinetic is revving up to take on scooter segment leader Bajaj Auto with its new Italiano series range. In its efforts to distance itself from the Kinetic Honda image that has long been associated with the company, it has also changed its logo.
The new logo is a metallic gray and silver unit that appears to be chiseled out carefully, indicating high precision engineering and a stately, elegant presence reflects a premium and aspirational brand image, say Kinetic officials. The new logo will appear on all Kinetic two wheelers, dealership insignia, advertising and other brand related initiatives.
The Italiano series comprises seven new scooter designs that have previously been bestsellers abroad and will now come to India for the first time. They offer a complete range from classic, futuristic, sporty, radical to vintage retro designs and engine specifications will range from 50cc Velocifero to 250cc Jupiter.
The Euro brand
Other models that Kinetic has in its kitty are Dragster, Torpedo a big wheel scooter, Euro, Millennium (also called the Blade) and Formula.
The scooters will be launched phase wise over the next couple of years, with the first launch – the 165 cc Millennium (Blade) coming in a month’s time and the 135 cc Euro slated for a Diwali launch. Kinetic plans aggressive pricing with the lower powered offerings targeting a price range of Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 and approximately Rs 40,000 to Rs. 50,000 for the mid powered range. The Jupiter is likely to cost Rs 150,000 to Rs 200,000.
Millennium
In an industry where the scooter format has not changed since 1984 when Kinetic brought in India’s first gearless scooter, the Italiano series is supposed to bring in a breath of freshness, the company claims.
The machines in the new series have been provided with new features —- the Dragster which the company plans to export and not offer to the Indian scooterist at present has a unique trellis frame, independent steering system with a single hydro-pneumatic shock absorber with an adjustable spring; while the large sized 250cc scooter Jupiter could create its own new segment.
At a special preview of the scooters in Bangalore, Jt MD of Kinetic Sulajja Firodia Motwani said, “This time the vehicles say it all. We are very excited about this range, it’s sure to bring back fun and glamour in two wheelers. After all, a two wheeler doesn’t only have to be about basic transportation, it should be able to provide utility, performance and excitement to the owner.”
Kinetic spends around Rs 400 million to Rs 500 million on advertising and promotions. For the two new products, as per Sulajja, the company intends to spend around Rs 150 million to Rs 200 million. Gray Worldwide and Contract handle its creatives while Madison handles the media business.
Kinetic has also acquired global distribution rights for the scooters and is chalking out an aggressive exports plan for these scooters which already have worldwide acceptance.
It has appointed Incubus – a showroom design agency out of Delhi – to offer standardized showroom ambience. All new dealers will have to adopt these designs for their show rooms. They also plan to revamp distributorships by appointing 40-50 new dealers in 30-35 cities. The new offerings are targeted at the urban rider and not the rural. Kinetic says that rural riders prefer the large wheeled fuel efficient mopeds or motorcycles.
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.
