MAM
Next Big Toon picks ‘final five’ from 230,000 entries
MUMBAI: Cartoon Network’s unique marketing initiative the Next Big Toon has announced its “final five”.
Of the 230,000 entries received for Next Big Toon, Abhishek Datta from Kolkata, PP Sai Ravi from Secunderabad, and three winners from Mumbai – Deepa V. Matprati, Govinda and Rohit Salian – emerged as the five finalists. The five original cartoons created by these kids are Madloo, Terminite, Leo – A Magic Pencil, Compman and Bulby, respectively.
A distinguished panel consisting of celebrated film Lagaan director, Ashutosh Gowariker, advertising personality Piyush Pandey, well-known animation producer Ram Mohan and Cartoon Network representatives Ian Diamond and Anshuman Misra were the judges.
The Next Big Toon judging panel: (from left) animation producer Ram Mohan, film director Ashutosh Gowariker, advertising personality Piyush Pandey and Cartoon Network’s Anshuman Misra and Ian Diamond.
“We are delighted that through Next Big Toon, Cartoon Network has yet again successfully encouraged kids to think laterally and stimulate their creative potential. The rules of entry for the contest were by no means simple, and the 230,000 odd entries that we have received from Indian toonheads is a testament to their inherent creative talent and passion for the medium of animation. Cartoon Network salutes the creative spirit of these young participants,” said Ian Diamond, senior vice president and general manager, Turner Entertainment Networks Asia, Inc.
Commenting on the entries, Ashutosh Gowariker said, “I am just amazed at the talent these kids have exhibited through their designs for the Next Big Toon contest. Not only are they good artists but they are also excellent weavers of a back-story for each character.” .
The five finalists will win an HP Pavilion computer each, a special plaque recognising each of the five finalists’ as creative toon geniuses and exclusive Network goodies. In addition, a three-member Cartoon Network creative services team will travel to meet the five young celebrities to find out more about their lives, their friends, and especially about their original character. The best entry from these five will be converted into an animated short and have the honour of being showcased on Cartoon Network in December 2003.
Launched on 23 June, Next Big Toon is a creative contest giving Indian kids an opportunity to create their own original cartoon character complete with a name, a personality, a family, enemies if required, and superpowers if needed.
The presenting sponsor of Next Big Toon is Joyco, with Laughing Cow Cheese, Kellogg’s Chocos, Atlas Cycles and Hewlett Packard as associate sponsors.
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.
