MAM
Kansai Nerolac launches new TVC with brand ambassador Shah Rukh Khan
NEW DELHI: Kansai Nerolac Paints today unveiled its brand new TVC featuring its brand ambassador Shah Rukh Khan. The TVC highlights the weather defense formula of Nerolac Excel in extreme tropical weather conditions of high rainfall, humidity and heat.
In order to showcase extreme weather conditions in India, the ad shoot panned across various outdoor locations – from the historic locales of Jodhpur to the picturesque countryside of Kerala.
The ad film features a gigantic 50 feet furled umbrella being ferried on a boat across the rivers of Kerala and the narrow by-lanes of Jodhpur, stirring curiosity among the passerby. Upon reaching its destination, the crowd gathered is amazed to witness the umbrella being unfurled by its owners to protect their homes against the harsh weather conditions – extreme heat (Jodhpur) and torrential rain (Kerala).
The ad film culminates with Shah Rukh, who is one of the bystanders‘ exclaiming that – ‘Homes that are not painted with Nerolac Excel will need some other kind of weather protection and for Nerolac Excel homes; the paint takes care of everything‘.
The ad film is also dubbed in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Bengali and is currently being aired across all national channels. The ad will also witness SRK speaking in Malyalam for a TVC for the first time.
Kansai Nerolac has also tied up with SRK‘s upcoming movie Chennai Express to promote the new Nerolac Excel campaign during his multi-city promotions.
“It‘s been a great association with Nerolac so far. The kind of innovations and evolutions they are bringing about in the paint technology has been truly commendable. The concept of this TVC is very unique and refreshing with the appropriate use of the gigantic umbrella. Despite the logistical challenges of shooting in extreme weather conditions and transportation of the huge umbrella, the team has pulled off the ad film really well,” says Shah Rukh.
Kansai Nerolac Paints vice-president- marketing and sales (Decorative) Sukhpreet Singh said, “The film follows a realistic approach capturing the expression and reaction of the locals on witnessing the gigantic umbrella which is aesthetically interwoven with the scenic rustic beauty of the locations. Our association with SRK has grown stronger over the years with him lending his persona to the brand.”
The ad film is a visual treat as one explores the rustic locales of Kerala and Jodhpur accompanied by a melodious audio. One will witness exaggeration, passive humor and an element of surprise and suspense throughout the film.
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.
