MAM
Kotak Mutual Fund launches new ad campaign that brings SIP to life
MUMBAI: Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company (Kotak Mutual Fund) becomes the first fund house in the industry to launch a conversational Voice Bot – Mr. SIP, which will address queries related to Systematic Investment Plan (SIPs).
Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company MD and CEO Nilesh Shah said, “There is a large population wary of investing in mutual funds as they don’t have easy access to clear their doubts. Our Mr. SIP uses cutting-edge technology to answers all investor queries so we can reach Kona Kona of India, as we believe SIP is one of the best ways to safeguard investments from market volatility over a long period of time”.
Kotak Mutual Fund will roll out pan-India marketing campaign spanning digital, radio, print, OOH, Television and other advertising & marketing mediums to introduce Mr. SIP to Indian consumers.
Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company head digital business and marketing Kinjal Shah said, “We have taken a new approach with the television commercial (TVC), where we have personified the voice bot as Mr. SIP, who demystifies the myths related to Systematic Investment Plans. Even our social media route breaks the norms of traditional BFSI communication by using ‘cricket’ anecdotes to explain queries related to SIP in a simple manner.”
Hyper Connect Asia, the agency of record has conceived this integrated campaign.
Hyper Connect Asia CCO and co-founder Kiran Khadke commented, “We were tasked to break the clutter in Investor Education communication and become synonymous with SIP. The idea stemmed from our research that showed consumers are still not clear on the many benefits of SIPs. Thus, we brought Mr. SIP to life – a go-to ‘person’ for anything & everything on Mutual Fund. The integrated campaign is also supported by a web portal that empowers fence-sitters with an interactive calculator, blogs and all the information they are looking on SIPs.”
The self-learning, non-biased Voice Bot will constantly upgrade itself based on the queries it receives, which enables Mr. SIP to provide optimal answers to investors. Presently, Mr. SIP will be available on kotakmf.com.
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.
