MAM
Milestone Dentsu, RNR launch #HappyLifeTeachersDay
MUMBAI: Teachers are not only found in classrooms but also in life-changing stories. Therefore, to celebrate these nameless faces who are seldom acknowledged but have nonetheless helped people succeed in life with their hands-on guidance and training, Milestone Dentsu decided to join hands with Rock N Roll riders (RNR) to launch the #HappyLifeTeachersDay campaign this Teacher’s Day.
RNR, one of India’s leading motorcycle tour operators, launched the campaign in collaboration with Milestone Dentsu, the creative agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, to celebrate the community of ‘mechanics’. While this group never stepped into a formal school, they learnt the science behind their skills, behind managing life, people and struggles from their ‘Ustaads’ (mentors) who have played the most important role in their journey.
Commenting on the campaign of RNR founder and lead ride captain D Jay said, “We noticed that most of our mechanics have stories to tell and one of the key life changing events for them, has been meeting their ‘Ustaad’. There is so much that they have learnt from their first Ustaad that somehow whichever stage the mechanics are in, they feel indebted, just like an IAS officer is indebted to his teachers/professors at school.”
“While every Teacher’s Day, we see lots of people thanking their teachers, we never see anyone thank these ‘Life Teachers’. Our initiative does just that. Not because we think there is a miss. But because we think it’s overdue,” he added.
Milestone Dentsu country head Ujjwal Anand and NCD Mayank Khattar mentioned, “When we conceived the idea, we felt that it was meant for none other than RNR. We have worked with them in the past. As a group, RNR are not just after profits. They also want to give back to the society, to the community and to the environment. The campaign brings out the right emotion and urges people to think beyond the ordinary. We all have learnt a lot from different kinds of teachers. And while we always thank the classroom teacher, we often forget the most important teachers, our ‘Life Teachers’, and it’s about time that we start doing so.”
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.
