MAM
Interbrand elevates Gonzalo Brujó to global chief executive role; appoints Ashish Mishra as CEO- India & South Asia
MUMBAI: Brand consultancy, Interbrand, announced a series of senior staff promotions, aimed to create a revised leadership structure globally and for the South Asia region. Gonzalo Brujó is now the global chief executive officer (CEO). Brujó succeeds Charles Trevail, who will take on the role of executive chairman. Another key people development also took place with the elevation of Ashish Mishra as the CEO of India & South Asia.
Brujó has been global president since February 2021, leading day-to-day operations of Interbrand whilst maintaining leadership of the company’s growth agenda, which builds off his highly successful tenure as global chief growth officer. He spent more than 15 years scaling the Interbrand business in Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.
“It’s a great honour to step into this senior leadership role at Interbrand at such a pivotal moment,” said Brujó. “The role that brands play in our lives is fundamentally changing – as is the world we live in. Branding is no longer a moment in time, and the brands that stand still will quickly lose relevance. I am excited to partner with our world-class clients and employees to achieve game-changing results in this rapidly shifting landscape.”
Ashish Mishra also spoke about what contributed to its consistently high performance in the local and adjacent markets. “We are the world’s premier brand consultancy and I’m privileged and honoured to be leading growth in these key markets to greater heights. But what’s more satisfying is the fact that we have been able to drive some much-needed shifts in the Indian business mindset. Elevating branding to a respectful, strategic status; getting a seat for branding at the management and board levels; encouraging the advertising and packaging design-bred marketing fraternity to begin to see brands as a strategic tool to drive business value. It also establishes the consciousness around the idea of brand value and valuation through our IPs – Best Global Brands and Best Indian Brands.”
These elevations highlight Interbrand’s push to make what it calls “Iconic Moves”, which are bold steps taken to help brands leap ahead of customer expectations and drive competitive advantage. Iconic Moves are a part of pivotal shifts in the world of brands and branding being driven by Interbrand worldwide, according to the company.
Currently, Interbrand India, a full-service consultancy started in 2013, will step up the branding practice across the region by letting their brands drive broader business arena opportunities, and developing more efficient business models, according to the company.
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.
