MAM
Havas Media’s Mobext reaches Singapore and Malaysia
MUMBAI: Havas Media has launched its mobile marketing agency Mobext in Singapore and Malaysia with Michael de Souza as general manager of the newly launched agency.
Mobext Singapore and Malaysia will leverage the strengths of sister agency MPG and Havas Digital siblings Media Contacts and Ecselis and their portfolio of clients like Resorts World Sentosa, DBS Bank, NTUC Fairprice, Abbott, to expand their business in the market.
Mobext is currently present in 19 markets globally and offers a truly end-to-end, mobile marketing agency service to clients. In Singapore the agency will offer messaging services like SMS and download; mobile internet services like WAP consulting and development, mobile display, mobile search. It will also provide proximity based services including LBS and mapping. Besides, it will offer integration through reporting and analytics by Havas Digital‘s campaign management platform.
de Souza is a digital strategist with broad agency, ad network, media planning and content development experience. He joins the agency from global advertising network Buzzcity Pte Ltd, where he served as VP for Media. During his 12 year career, he has managed cross-channel campaigns and developed content for brands including Coca-Cola, Nestl?©, EAGames, Disney, Nike and MTN.
Havas Media Asia Pacific CEO Vishnu Mohan said, “Singapore and Malaysia are strategically important markets for Havas Media and very advanced when it comes to mobile penetration and usage. We think that the time is just right for the launch of Mobext in the two markets. Our vision is to be the only pure-play mobile marketing agency network with truly regional scale across the entire Asia-Pacific, with strong mobile leaders in every major Asian market. This will allow us to work with the largest advertisers across the region for region-wide mobile marketing agency campaigns.”
Mobext head of mobile APAC Arthur Policarpio said: “We invest in people, and with Michael, we have a leader with years of experience in mobile who can provide our clients with expert advice in this field. We are likewise the largest mobile agency network in the world, with offices in 19 markets, allowing us to leverage significant international experience in mobile best practice.”
The launch of Mobext in Singapore follows the launch of the agency brand in Asia Pacific starting from India in the second quarter of 2011. Earlier in 2012 in February the media group acquired a majority stake in Snapworx Mobile Inc in the Philippines, following which the agency was rebranded as Mobext.
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.
