MAM
Microsoft’s new campaign looks to ‘Start Something Amazing’
MUMBAI: Software giant ,Microsoft, has announced the five winners of its Start Something Amazing Awards.
This consumer oriented programme, honours the unique and inspiring ways that people use Microsoft Windows-related technology in simple yet powerful ways to pursue their everyday passions.
The five winners each showcased uses of Windows technology to enjoy their interests — from producing a sketch-comedy TV show and connecting with the deaf community to drag racing, tackling the issue of food insecurity and running a music studio.
Microsoft chairman and chief software architect, Bill Gates, met the winners at Microsoft’s headquarters in the US a few days ago. He presented their awards and named 15-year-old, Jeannine Johnson, as the grand prize winner to be featured in a Microsoft ad.
Gates said, “We celebrate the achievements of five highly creative individuals who used the Microsoft Windows platform to pursue their passions. Their stories, along with those of thousands of others who entered the Start Something Amazing Awards, are inspirational examples of the transformative power of technology.”
The Start Something Amazing Awards were created to support the global awareness campaign called Start Something. This is one of the largest and longest marketing campaigns in the Windows brand history, which, celebrates the countless possibilities for Windows to bring what people are passionate about to life using the hundreds of thousands of software applications and devices that work with Microsoft Windows XP.
Johnson, the grand prize winner, will be featured in a Microsoft advertisement scheduled to run in Entertainment Weekly, ESPN Magazine, National Geographic and Rolling Stone in the coming months. In addition to the earlier mentioned trip to Seattle to meet Bill Gates, each winner received $5,000 in the latest Windows technology, including a Windows XP Media Center Edition-based PC, Tablet PC and iriver H10 portable music device, as well as the following
once-in-a-lifetime prizes designed to further celebrate their passions.
ESPN US is offering Johnson a trip to go behind the scenes at ESPN’s headquarters in Connecticut including a tour and an opportunity to meet the SportsCenter personalities, as well as an appearance on ESPN2’s Cold Pizza to talk about her ultimate sports experience. She and a guest will also have lunch or dinner with an athlete at New York City’s ESPN Zone.
AD Agencies
The Advertising Club unveils new brand identity
71-year-old industry body repositions itself as marketing’s guiding beacon
MUMBAI: The Advertising Club has revealed a refreshed brand identity, signalling a new chapter in its 71-year journey at the heart of India’s marketing and media ecosystem.
Created in partnership with global brand consultancy Landor, the rebrand is less about reinvention and more about realignment. It builds on decades of credibility while sharpening the Club’s role in an industry being rapidly reshaped by technology, artificial intelligence and shifting consumer expectations.
For generations, The Advertising Club has been the meeting ground for ideas, ambition and industry-defining conversations. From flagship platforms to benchmark-setting awards, it has helped script the story of modern Indian marketing. Now, as algorithms influence artistry and data sits alongside design, the Club is leaning into change with clarity.
At the core of the new identity is a simple but powerful idea: TAC as “The Beacon”. In a time of constant disruption, the industry needs more than applause lines. It needs direction. The refreshed positioning casts the Club as a steady guide, illuminating what lies ahead while honouring the milestones behind it.
The new visual system is designed to be flexible and future-ready, adapting seamlessly across awards, partnerships, platforms and digital touchpoints. It carries the weight of legacy, yet speaks in a contemporary voice that feels confident, global and distinctly Indian.
The Advertising Club president and McCann India CEO Dheeraj Sinha, said the refresh reflects both responsibility and opportunity. “Our seven-decade legacy demands that we lead with purpose. This new identity reaffirms our intent to serve as a beacon at a time of high volatility. TAC will continue to set benchmarks, spark meaningful conversations and champion the ideas shaping the future of marketing and advertising.”
The evolution is not about discarding the past, but about using it as fuel for what comes next. As culture, commerce, creativity and code increasingly converge, The Advertising Club is positioning itself as the platform that connects the dots and keeps the industry moving forward.
