MAM
Axis Bank announces the winners of SPLASH
Mumbai: Axis Bank, one of the largest private sector banks in India, announced six national winners of SPLASH, an annual Pan-India competition on art, craft, and literature for children in the age group of 7-14 years. All six finalists will be felicitated with scholarships of Rs. 1 lakh each, exciting hampers, and electronic gadgets from partners such as Hamleys, Faber Castle, American Tourister and BoAt and the runners-up will be awarded Rs 50 thousand each.
Winners under the age group of seven-ten years:
1. Art: Shivash Soni from GDGPS, New Delhi
2. Craft: Yashvi Premkumar from Senthil Public School, Salem, Tamil Nadu
3. Literature: Krithika Reddy from City International School Aundh, Pune, Maharashtra
Winners under the age group of 11 – 14 years:
1. Art: P. Akshitha from The Presidential School, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
2. Craft: Devayudh Das from Delhi Public School, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal
3. Literature: Stuti Jain from D.A.V. Public School, Ludhiana, Punjab
Marking a new milestone, the competition witnessed entries from over 6.8 lakh participants from all over the nation, which has increased by 36 per cent year on year. Through this initiative, the Bank has generated a cumulative reach of over 50 million by conducting the competition phygitally (both physically and digitally), ensuring that every child has an opportunity to showcase their talent.
Speaking on the initiative, Axis Bank CMO Anoop Manohar said, “We would like to thank all the participants and congratulate the winners for their remarkable contribution in making this competition a huge success. We firmly believe that young minds hold the power to create, mould and change the world for a better tomorrow and we, at Axis Bank want to be part of this journey, in building a better community for our next generation. Through Splash, we endeavour to encourage young minds to express their ideas, thoughts, and views through creative medium such as arts, craft and literature and will continue to do so.”
With an aim to instill the thought of kindness and foster a sense of goodwill amongst the new generation, Axis Bank reached out to over 1,900 plus schools and activated its 5000 plus branches. These participants were adjudged by jury panel comprising Vikrant Shitole, a revered artist from Art Society of India; Disha Katharani, co-founder of Imagimake; Savio Mascarenhas, group art director at Amar Chitra Katha; and Rajiv Chilaka, CEO of Green Gold Animation.
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.
