MAM
Focussing on the Long Term, Gozoop Announces Appraisals for its team
Gozoop – India’s leading independent digital-first communication company has announced appraisals for its employees.
In these unprecedented times, while most companies are cutting costs and laying off staff, Gozoop has prioritised its team’s best interests. It has decided to reward its top performers for their consistent contributions before and during the pandemic
The company had also promised no COVID related job losses as early as April despite the business being hit as companies aggressively cut down on marketing budgets. Since then the company has aggressively won new businesses such as Gulf Oil, Bisleri, British Council and Zee. As a result, the independent agency has continued to attract best marketing talent from the industry, resulting in a significant increase in its headcount.
Gozoop’s culture and people-centric decisions have time and again made a positive impact not only on the media industry but across sectors. Gozoop was also one of the first companies in India to announce menstrual leave as well as mental wellness leaves.
The company has also been recognised by Great Places To Work Insitute for five years now. In 2020, the company was named as Best Workplace in the Media Industry as well.
Speaking on the announcement, Rohan Bhansali, Co-Founder & Director, Gozoop said “The Gozoop way has always been to do the best we sustainably can for our people. I am grateful for as well as proud of the team’s valiant effort through the pandemic. We are also confident that we will emerge through this stronger. Our decision on appraising our team stems from this same sense of gratefulness as well confidence.”
Bansi Raja, Chief Happiness Officer, Gozoop said “I am so proud of Gozoop. Pandemic or not, great talent should be celebrated and acknowledged. Nothing makes me happier as head of HR than my team as well as my company prospering. We are Building to Last.”
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.
