MAM
Mother Sparsh kickstarts #MomYouAreNotAlone campaign for new moms
Mumbai: Baby and mother care brand Mother Sparsh has kickstarted the #MomYouAreNotAlone campaign to spread awareness and promote conversations on postpartum blues.
While statistics suggest that nearly seven out of every 10 mothers globally battle postpartum blues, more worrisome is the fact that new moms feel that seeking professional treatment for their woes is unwarranted. The campaign was launched by Mother Sparsh to end the stigma around the issue and converse in a place of refuge that helps women comprehend their emotions even better.
“Post childbirth when new moms begin to heal and their bodies adjust to not being pregnant, it is referred to as the postpartum period. Most vulnerable phase for a woman, this period often interferes with their ability to take care of themselves or their little ones. This is where they require a shoulder to lean on or at least an assurance that their pain points are being taken cognizance of. We intend to do precisely,” said Mother Sparsh co-founder and CEO Dr Himanshu Gandhi.
The campaign roadmap for the non-monetised activity includes engagement with celebrities, mom influencers and a large pool of micro as well as macro-influencers.
“To make the campaign more informative and interactive, we have collaborated with noted Maternal Child Wellness Coach & Activist Dr Mahima Bakshi, who has designed the campaign to refrain all moms from neglecting their emotions and feelings,” Gandhi further added.
The cause and initiative would be supported on the Mother Sparsh website and different social media platforms through periodical live sessions and incorporation in social media activities.
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.
