MAM
ePayLater’s latest campaign is an ode to neighbourhood kiranas
Mumbai: ePayLater, a buy now-pay later payments platform for retailers, has launched a campaign #TarakkeeKePankh that showcases how the platform helps unleash the true potential of a small shop owner by providing empowerment through financial freedom.
Conceptualised and created by Madison BMB, the campaign is an ode to our neighbourhood shopkeepers and kiranas, and aims to portray the brand as the wind beneath their wings metaphorically. The brand film is directed by Deepti Nangia and produced by Momomoto Studios Production house.
“We have kept it real and simple. We all know that one local kirana shop owner who is an unsung hero in our lives. Come sun or rain, or even the challenges posed by recent lockdowns, they ensure we get our daily essentials,” said Madison BMB CEO and CCO Raj Nair, speaking about the creative concept behind the integrated campaign. “This integrated campaign for ePayLater is an ode to these kirana shop owners and revolves around how the brand is, in fact, not just a fintech product but metaphorically the wind beneath their wings. ePayLater takes pride in their achievements and watches them grow their business and prosper. In order to ensure maximum reach and impact within our audience group over a period of time, we’ve taken the essence of the campaign beyond the thematic film into digital media and shop level activation as well.”
“We have invested in a lot of time and effort in creating a fintech platform that makes the process of availing credit easy for the kirana community,” said ePayLater co-founder Aurko Bhattacharya. “Madison BMB got the pulse of our audience and has created a heartwarming campaign for these unsung heroes of our country. The thematic brand film takes the lead in showcasing how ePayLater helps unleash the true potential of a small businessman by providing empowerment through financial freedom.”
“In the 360-degree integrated campaign, Madison BMB has not only highlighted the importance of these shop-owners in our lives, but also focused on how ePayLater is a catalyst for positive development in their lives,” added ePayLater marketing head Sunay Jain.
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.
