AD Agencies
EMVIE Awards turn 25 with a grand celebration of advertising brilliance
MUMBAI- Mumbai’s advertising elite gathered under one roof as The Advertising Club marked a spectacular 25 years of the EMVIE Awards, widely regarded as the Oscars of the media world. The milestone edition, held at the Jio World Convention Centre on 28 March 2025, celebrated the finest in media strategy, innovation, and brand storytelling, honouring industry leaders who have redefined the advertising landscape.
With an unprecedented 1,779 entries from 33 agencies, a record-breaking feat, the competition was fierce, culminating in 443 shortlisted campaigns. The night saw a grand total of 191 winners, including 1 Grand EMVIE, 46 gold, 71 silver, and 73 bronze trophies.
Wavemaker India dominated the night, clinching the title of Best Media Agency of the Year with 665 points, while Mondelez India Foods Pvt. Ltd. took home Best Media Client of the Year with 380 points.
The coveted Grand EMVIE was awarded to Initiative Media (India) Private Limited for their innovative use of AI-driven interactive storytelling for Amazon Prime Video’s Mirzapur, bagging the trophy in the Best Media Innovation: Best Use of AI for a Media Solution category.
Other big winners included Mindshare India, finishing second with 570 points, and Essencemediacom, securing third place with 275 points.
The EMVIE for Diversity, Equality & Inclusion (DE&I) was awarded to Interactive Avenues for their impactful campaign ‘Ek Macchhli Paani Mein Gayi’ for Chhanv Foundation, shedding light on the resilience of acid attack survivors.
The Young EMVIE of the Year went to Navneet Kabra from Wavemaker India, who crafted a winning hand for Cadbury 5 Star & Cadbury Celebrations with ‘The Joker Who Got Cadbury the Winning Hand’.
Havas India, group CEO for South East, and North Asia & and The Advertising Club, president Rana Barua, said, “As we celebrate 25 years of the EMVIES, it’s a moment to acknowledge how these awards have become a true reflection of our industry’s relentless pursuit of innovation, creativity, and excellence. The EMVIES have consistently evolved to capture the spirit of transformative storytelling and the power of effective media strategies. This milestone is a tribute to the passion and dedication of media professionals who continue to raise the bar with their groundbreaking work. Congratulations to all the winners of the 2025 EMVIE Awards — your achievements are an inspiration, driving our industry forward. Here’s to the next 25 years of pushing boundaries and setting new benchmarks.”
EMVIES Committee chairperson Punitha Arumugam said, “The EMVIES have played a crucial role in shaping India’s media landscape by setting new benchmarks in effectiveness and innovation. As we mark 25 years of this incredible journey, we recognize the immense talent, creativity, and strategic brilliance that elevate industry standards. This year’s winners exemplify the best of what media can achieve when insights, strategy, and technology come together.”
With support from The Times of India & UltraTech Cement Limited, the EMVIE Awards 2025 once again proved why they remain the gold standard of advertising recognition. As the industry looks ahead, the only thing certain is that the future of media will be bold, boundary-breaking, and built on brilliance.
AD Agencies
AdTrust Summit 2026 to examine trust, AI and Gen Alpha in advertising
Two-day summit in Mumbai to explore ethics, regulation and the future of advertising trust
MUMBAI: At a time when advertising is navigating a delicate trust deficit, the Advertising Standards Council of India is preparing to bring the industry to the table. On 17 and 18 March, the body will host the inaugural AdTrust Summit 2026 in Mumbai, a two-day gathering designed to spark conversation around responsibility, regulation and credibility in modern advertising.
The summit, to be held at the Jio World Convention Centre in Bandra Kurla Complex, will bring together leaders from advertising, media, technology and policy to examine how brands can build trust in a marketplace increasingly shaped by algorithms, influencers and artificial intelligence.
In an age of deepfakes, dark patterns and blurred lines between content and commerce, the question is no longer just how brands capture attention, but whether audiences believe what they see. The AdTrust Summit aims to unpack that challenge.
Day one will turn its attention to the youngest digital natives. Titled Decoding Gen Alpha, the session will unveil ‘What the Sigma?’, a study by ASCI and Futurebrands Consulting that explores how children growing up in a hyper-digital environment encounter advertising and commercial messaging.
The report presentation will be delivered by Santosh Desai, founder and director at Think9 Consumer Technologies and a social commentator known for his insights into consumer behaviour. The discussion that follows will attempt to decode how Gen Alpha consumes media, interacts with brands and navigates the growing overlap between entertainment and marketing.
In a move that mirrors the subject itself, two Gen Alpha students will also join the conversation, offering a rare perspective from the generation advertisers are trying to understand.
The second panel of the day will shift the focus from observation to implication, asking what the report’s findings mean for brands, agencies and society. Speakers include Karthik Srinivasan, communications strategy consultant; Preeti Vyas, president at Mythik; and Abigail Dias, associate president planning at Ogilvy. The session will be moderated by Sonali Krishna, editor at ET Brand Equity.
Day two moves from insight to regulation. Under the theme From Compliance to Trust, ASCI will release its Ad Law Compendium, a comprehensive guide to India’s advertising regulations.
The day will open with a keynote by Sudhanshu Vats, chairman at ASCI and managing director at Pidilite Industries, followed by a chief guest address by Sanjay Jaju, secretary at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Legal experts from Khaitan & Co., including Haigreve Khaitan, senior partner, and Tanu Banerjee, partner, will present an overview of the current advertising law landscape in India and examine whether existing frameworks are equipped to deal with emerging technologies and formats.
Subsequent panels will explore issues increasingly shaping the industry’s ethical compass. Conversations will range from the limits of persuasive design and the rise of dark patterns, to the growing scrutiny brands face from digital creators and consumer watchdogs.
One session will also feature Revant Himatsingka, widely known online as the Food Pharmer, whose critiques of packaged food brands have sparked debate around transparency and corporate accountability.
Later discussions will turn toward media literacy among Gen Alpha, asking how children can be equipped to navigate a digital world where gaming, content and commerce are becoming indistinguishable.
The summit will conclude with a final panel on the future of advertising, bringing together voices from agencies, legal circles and technology platforms to discuss how innovation, intelligence and integrity can coexist.
For an industry built on persuasion, trust has always been its quiet currency. But as audiences grow more sceptical and digital ecosystems more complex, that currency is under pressure.
Events like the AdTrust Summit suggest the advertising world knows it cannot afford to take credibility for granted. The real challenge now is turning conversation into commitment.
