MAM
Gozoop wins creative digital mandate for Guardian GNC
NEW DELHI: Gozoop has won the integrated creative digital mandate for Guardian GNC, the master franchise for GNC in India. GNC, headquartered in USA is a global leader in health and wellness supplements. As part of its digital duties, Gozoop will be responsible for building the brand on digital, including creative campaigns, social media, customer experience, influencer marketing and online reputation.
Looking at Gozoop's proven experience of building brands in the nutraceutical and health space, the mandate will focus on strengthening GNC's digital presence and creating new avenues for consumer engagement. Through creative out-of-the-box communication strategies, Gozoop will strengthen brand awareness on digital platforms and touchpoints in a creative and innovative way.
The long-term association aims to build the brand seamlessly, integrate digital presence across platforms, and establish the brand in an omnichannel manner more aggressively. A dedicated team will also work on building an influencer community for the brand.
Commenting on the association, Guardian GNC CEO Shadab Khan said, “We are happy to be associated with Gozoop. It is important to have the right partners who understand and foresee the same vision. In today’s day and age, it is essential to have an integrated marketing approach towards attaining an accurate brand voice. We at GNC believe in educating and providing an all-inclusive approach to improve health and wellness. With our partnership with Gozoop we aim to build and improve the quality of life, of our consumers by spreading awareness about the right nutrition.”
Guardian GNC VP marketing Prashant Sarwade further added, “We believe Gozoop would help us bridge the gap in educating and spreading awareness about what GNC has to offer, through an integrated marketing approach. We are confident about this journey together, and hope to inspire our consumers to take a holistic approach towards health by choosing the right lifestyle and nutrition. .”
Gozoop CEO and co-founder Ahmed Aftab Naqvi said, “Great partnerships are built on the pillars of trust, respect, knowledge and the hunger to excel. We are delighted to have a found a like-minded partner in GNC which shares similar values. I and my team are looking forward to helping GNC win in this new world.”
Gozoop VP – business and strategy Amyn Ghadiali said, “Our vision, strategically and creatively, is so well aligned with GNC, that we are excited to venture upon this journey together. I believe that in the coming times a brand that sets itself apart from a creative standpoint on digital would be able to build better resonance, and that is exactly what we are gearing towards with this new partnership.”
The association between Gozoop and Guardian Healthcare, the master franchisee of GNC, has proven to be fruitful, with the recent campaign #IAmPositive gained immense popularity. Conceptualised and executed by Gozoop, and promoted through a video featuring John Abraham, the campaign encouraged people to stay optimistic while adapting to the new normal.
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.
