MAM
#KooKiyaKya asks Koo in its first-ever TVC
Mumbai: Homegrown multi-language micro-blogging platform Koo has launched its first-ever television ad campaign during the ongoing T20 World Cup.
The social media app has partnered with Ogilvy India and developed a creative communication platform – ‘Koo Kiya Kya’ to urge people to express themselves in their mother tongue. The campaign is reflective of users’ desire to leverage social media for self-expression and to connect and engage with their communities in a language of their choice.
Launched at the start of the T20 World Cup 2021, the campaign consists of a series of short-format 20-second advertisements that grab viewer attention through their quirks, wit, and humour laced around the tagline #KooKiyaKya.
The visuals capture people going about their daily lives, indulging in light-hearted banter, and talking straight from their heart – with catchy idioms that can be Kooed to express themselves online. The ads are woven around a unifying message – ‘Ab Dil Mein Jo Bhi Ho, Koo Pe Kaho.’ The ads are live across leading sports channels and will play during the T20 World Cup matches.
“The campaign positions Koo as an inclusive platform, as a platform for self-expression which gives voice to those who have never experienced language-based social media before,” Koo App co-founder Apremeya Radhakrishna said. “With the T20 World Cup 2021 happening right now, the timing is perfect to leverage television as a key channel to put across our message, to help people connect with each other meaningfully.”
Koo co-founder Mayank Bidawatka added, “A large part of India hasn’t been given an online public platform to express these thoughts in people’s preferred language. That’s what this campaign is about – an invitation to every Indian to start sharing their thoughts in their mother tongue and connect with millions of others on Koo in a meaningful way.”
Elaborating on the campaign, Ogilvy India chief creative officer Sukesh Nayak said, “Our idea came from life. When talking to our friends or family in our own language we find the comfort to express ourselves the best. Our intent is to ensure whoever sees these films, should instantly think of many such incidents from their own life. And feel comfortable to express the same in their own language with a wider set of audience on Koo.”
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.
