MAM
DDB MudraMax to be chief consultants in outdoor solutions for Ludhiana
MUMBAI: Post a multi-agency pitch, the Municipal Corporation of Ludhiana, Punjab, has appointed DDB MudraMax as its consultant for the preparation of a ‘Master Plan for Outdoor Advertisement’ in Municipal Corporation Limits of Ludhiana, Punjab. The agencies who were present for the pitch included Delhi Integrated Multi Modal Transit System, Tandon Urban Solutions and IBI Consultancy India. There is no incumbent on this account.
Currently, outdoor advertising in Ludhiana is regulated by MCL, LDA, GLADA, PUDA Indian Railway etc, and each of these bodies have their own set of rules and regulations, tender process, revenue generation and sharing.
As a fallout of different rulings and existence of different viewpoints there is a lack of a cohesive policy on the subject. Along with MCL, LDA, PWD and other government bodies, the other stake holders involved in advertising have also voiced the need to define a comprehensive policy on outdoor for Ludhiana. These include the city; the industry, the citizens and individual NGOs.
As a consultant, DDB MudraMax will be responsible for providing the best and most innovative ideas and recommend best practices to be adopted for Ludhiana’s outdoor advertisement industry including street furniture for Ludhiana City. The scope of work involves a thorough study of the existing outdoor advertisement policy and preparation of a concept plan that explains the ideas and provides the best practices and applications to be adopted in the case of Ludhiana. This will also include a master plan for outdoor advertisement, street furniture for Ludhiana City including the detailed design specifications, material and dimensions along with incorporating the essential signs.
Commenting on this DDB Mudra Max outdoor and experiential retail President Mandeep Malhotra said, “We were excited to partner Municipal Corporation of Ludhiana in the master plan for the outdoor policy. It is going to be a first-of-its-kind for the city in the coming times. Ludhiana being a forward looking entrepreneurial city had to be the first to take the initiative. We ourselves are looking forward to make the city look wonderful and aesthetically great.”
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.
