MAM
#NoConditionsApply campaign crosses 2.9m views
NEW DELHI: The 2nd leg of the campaign, #NoConditionsApply, a revolution kicked off by Calcutta Times aimed at changing the division of tradition is creating waves across the country.
Crafted by FCB Ulka, the campaign has been released in print and on social media platforms.
The campaign, is based on the 400-year-old tradition of Sindoor Khela the last day of the auspicious Durga Pooja, an annual Hindu festival. The Sindur: that married women put in the parting of their hair, to indicate their marital status.
During the festive time, the warrior goddess, Durga, is worshipped by the Bengali community in India, for a period of 4 days at the onset of autumn. On the last day of this vibrant, rich, communal celebration, married woman endorse the goddess’ and their own marital prosperity by applying Sindur on to the idol’s face and then to each other. It’s a mad riot of vermillion celebration. It’s about a fertile world, a wedded world, a world that acknowledges the wifeness & motherness of a goddess who has just slain a demon. But while the married women come together the rest of sisterhood looks on…uninvited.
“This movement wasn’t for those who had opted out. It was for those who had been pushed out. It was about erasing a line not drawn by them, but by others. About two dots of red with no barrier in between. Me & my other sister. My transgender sister. My widowed sister. My sex worker sister. My outlier sister. It was about equality in symbology. Because after all, that is where it all begins and where it all flows back to. Every progressive, inclusive thought is only as powerful as the ritual it permeates. At least in a country like India – where ritual is everything” said Swati Bhattacharya, Chief Creative Officer, FCB Ulka.
Shedding light on the theme, Rohit Ohri, Group Chairman and CEO, FCB India said, “I have a special connection with this campaign. Having been born and brought up in Kolkata, Durga Puja was something I always looked forward to in my growing up years. Sarbojanin Durga Puja was how I always remembered it. Sarbojanin means for everyone. So Durga Puja was for everyone but Sindoor Khela wasn’t. Swati, Chief Creative Officer FCB Ulka and a feminist, created this campaign about social inclusion for TOI. Inclusion cannot be conditional. And so #noconditionsapply was the perfect articulation to spark off this behaviour change campaign.”
Speaking on the occasion, Sumeli Chatterjee, Vice President, Brand TOI said, “#NoConditionsApply is an initiative that is close to our heart and existence. There is a lot of talk of diversity of gender, this highlights the need to have diversity even within the gender. While we have hosted this inclusive Shindoor Khela initiative in Kolkata, the messaging is relevant to every occasion and every festivity. When we talk of Gender Equity, we cannot limit our conversations to only ambition and opportunities; we need to talk about inclusion in Festivals, Celebrations and every walk of life that will allow everyone to walk that step together. No Celebration can every be complete without including one and all.”
Campaign Summary
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Campaign Elements : Digital & Print
Client : Times of India
Creative Agency : FCB Ulka
Creative Partner : Fred Levron
Chief Creative Officer : Swati Bhattacharya
National Creative Director : Surjo Dutt
Creative Team : Shailesh Khandeparker, Romit Nair, Donovan D’souza, Arijit Gupta, Arijit Sengupta, Abhijeet Ray, Anusheela Saha, SV Srinath, Gayatri Sriram, Ranit Mukherjee, Aurdhendu Banerji
Account Management : M N Damodaran, Vineeta Arora
Planning Team : John Thangaraj
Director (of the TVC) : Amit Roy
Producers : Kirk Dias, Ramel George
Production House : The Bakery Films
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TVC Details : 1 Film
Working title of film : No Conditions Apply
Duration: 3 minutes 35 seconds
Campaign breaks as of : November 1, 2017
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MAM
Ad:tech honours 2026: Full list of winners announced
Expanded awards spotlight winners across 22 categories as industry doubles down on intelligent automation
NEW DELHI: Marketing’s tech elite took the spotlight as the ad:tech honours 2026 returned with a sharper focus on AI, data and immersive media, signalling how deeply technology now underpins brand strategy. Held at Yashobhoomi on March 17, the second edition drew industry leaders to celebrate innovation that is reshaping engagement and performance.
Presented with the International Advertising Association India chapter and new partner Huella, the awards expanded from 8 to 22 categories, tracking the rapid convergence of creativity, automation and analytics.
The winners’ list reads like a snapshot of marketing’s future. In affiliate and partner marketing, Lyxel & Flamingo – Boat and Paytm Ads – Giva took silver. Mobavenue Media Private Limited struck gold in AI-driven dynamic creative optimisation, alongside a silver for Laqshya Media Limited.
Creative AI collaboration saw Rediffusion Brand Solutions Private Limited win gold, with Saltinc Consulting Private Limited securing silver. Laqshya Media Limited continued its strong run, taking gold in AI conversation agents and adding multiple wins across categories, including silver in GenAI-led creative and both gold and silver in interactive DOOH campaigns for Tanishq and Tata Coffee.
Predictive AI honours went to Strong Metrics and Tyroo, both silver, while Orient Bell Limited picked up silver in immersive retail tech. In GenAI-led creative, Laqshya Media Limited, Salt – Kotak and Sumimoto each secured silver, reflecting the crowded race in generative creativity.
Publicis bagged silver in influencer management and gold in performance marketing, where it shared the stage with Arm Worldwide and The Trade Desk, both silver. Glad U Came Private Limited stood out with gold in influencer measurement and analytics.
Marketing automation saw CereOne Media Pvt. Ltd. and Globale Media win silver, while ADMOTT Private Limited claimed silver in OTT innovation.
Programmatic media categories highlighted the shift to advanced targeting and connected screens. Mobavenue Media Private Limited clinched gold in connected TV advertising, with Animmoov Digital Media Pvt Ltd – Asus and Lyxel and Flamingo taking silver. Cheggout Services Private Limited won silver in retail media advertising, while Paytm Ads – Versuni secured gold.
On social platforms, Vayner Media India took gold in community and UGC engagement, with Under 25 – Oppo winning silver. Segumento rounded off the list with silver in the innovation category.
Jaswant Singh, country managing director at ad:tech India, underscored the momentum, saying generative AI and data-driven decision-making are now central to marketing impact. Neena Dasgupta, IAA mancom member and chief executive and founder at The Salt Inc Consulting, added that the awards celebrate not just technology, but “the people, the creativity, and the relentless effort behind it.”
Backed by Comexposium Group, ad:tech New Delhi has long tracked digital disruption. Now, with the honours, it is rewarding those who are not just adapting to change but engineering it.
In an industry racing towards automation, the message from 2026 is unmistakable. The future of marketing will be written not just in ideas, but in algorithms.
