MAM
MAA Bozell scores a hatrick with three account wins
MUMBAI: MAA Communications Bozell, Cochin has bagged both the creative and media duties for three accounts. These include Coconut Development Board, a commodity board promoting coconut cultivation, usage and consumption, Anzera Properties, a real estate developers currently launching three brands (apartments, villas, commercial complex) in Cochin and Ortho-Care Products, a part of Parathuvayalil Group which deals in ayurvedic treatment, manufacturing and marketing of Ayurvedic OTC products and orthopaedic appliances.
An official release issued by the agency states that the size of the advertising spends by the Coconut Development Board is estimated to be in the region of Rs.50-60 million while the size for both the other accounts are estimated to be Rs.10 million each.
“It was distinctive strategy and creative solutions proposed to the client that helped us win these accounts” says MAA Communications Bozell director Ravindranath.
The Coconut Development Board called for the pitch in December 2006 with the brief on how to increase the usage and consumption of coconut and coconut value added products. As per the information 14 agencies were vying for the account and finally five agencies were empanelled. The empanelled agencies included Stark Communications, Magnum, Madras Advertising and Jelitta Publicity apart from MAA Communications Bozell. MAA Communications Bozell, FCB Ulka & Madras Advertising were the incumbent agencies handling the account.
Head – Kerala Operations Jacob Thomas said, “The performance review of all the agencies in the panel was instrumental in getting us this account.”
Both Anzera Properties and Ortho-Care (P) Ltd. were looking for a marketing communication specialist who could offer 360 degree communications solutions. The brief given to the agency was to create rapid awareness and position its various brands for Anzera Properties and to launch and create a brand pull for the elastic abdomenal binder for the client Ortho-Care.
Regarding the media mix, Ravindranath said, “A decision is still to be taken on the media mix but we are in the process of finalizing the same for Anzera properties and Ortho-Care (P) Ltd., while we will be providing a media neutral solutions to the Coconut Development Board.”
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.
