MAM
Nagesh Alai, Sandeep Seth, Richard Murphy to head APAC Effie Awards 2016 jury
MUMBAI: The Asia Pacific Effie Awards has named three more heads of Jury for the 2016 Awards in FCB Worldwide vice chairman – global Nagesh Alai, SK-II global brand director Sandeep Seth and McDonalds CVP digital, growth & foundation markets Richard Murphy .
Alai has been part of the APAC Effie Jury for the past two years and is currently a member of the APAC Effie Committee. A key force behind the Group’s sound fundamentals & success, he has been with FCBUlka Group for 25 years now. Between 2006 and 2011, FCB Worldwide handed over to Alai the finance and operational responsibilities of Asia Pacific & Africa region and prior to his recent assignment, he was group chairman of FCBUlka Group in India.
He is also actively involved with the industry having been the president of Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) from 2010 to 2012. He currently serves as an executive member of the Confederation of Asian Advertising Agency Associations (CAAAA), various committees of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI).
Alai said, “Advertising is all about creating awareness about a brand and triggering a behavioural change in the consumer. Effies platform recognises this truism. Hence, it’s an honour to be associated with APAC Effies it as a Head of Jury and help in selecting the best of the best advertising in the region.”
Seth has almost two decades of marketing experience across nine countries in APAC and Greater China, and a deep expertise in the Beauty and Prestige industry. He currently heads SK-II’s global marketing and commercial operations. He is also leading P&G Asia’s marketing talent rejuvenation movement.
“I feel extremely honoured to be on a Head of Jury for APAC Effie. Brands and advertising is a huge passion area. We are in a new era of advertising as the digital revolution has completely transformed how brands and consumers interact. It is an exciting time and I am looking forward to be inspired by the great work that everyone has been leading in the industry,” Seth said.
Murphy, with a brief to drive digital transformation at a market level, covers some 90+ countries across the globe and includes setting and aligning the agenda for digital, ensuring that markets are clear about the expectations the business has of them and to help drive a modern approach with customers.
“I am delighted to be invited as a Head of Jury for APAC Effie. Effectiveness is the core of the advertising business and what we strive to achieve. I’m glad to play a part in Effies in championing marketing effectiveness and am excited to see the great works from the region,” Murphy added.
This completes the Heads of Jury line-up for the 2016 Awards.
Awards chairman Cheuk Chiang said, “I’m absolutely convinced that with such a distinguished and experienced group of practitioners, the Effies in APAC will redefine and set new standards for effectiveness. It comes at a time when marketers want greater accountability and stronger results but fail to do this consistently. Inspiration will come from the best and most effective work that has been interrogated, scrutinised, evaluated and judged by the best in the business. There will be something to learn for all of us and it’s truly an honour to be working alongside such a distinguished and experienced group of thought leaders.”
Finalists will be announced in March 2016, with the Awards Gala set to take place in Singapore end April 2016.
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.
