MAM
Old Spice celebrates International Men’s Day
MUMBAI: It was a mantastic day when supermodel, ace marathon runner and India Face of Old Spice, Milind Soman and Bollywood heartthrobs — Vidyut Jamwal, Rana Daggubati and Sonu Sood — came together to inspire Indian men on International Men’s Day.
The show-stoppers indulged in many manly acts to celebrate the day which in this year’s edition focuses on good health and equality while highlighting positive male.
The Mantastic Brigade also marked the grand culmination of the Smell Mantastic Campaign by unveiling the commandments that a manly man should follow — Smell Good; Be Yourself; Stay Active, Stay Fit and Respect for All.
“Mantastic videos” that are an ode to the bolder and masculine self that every man wants to be were also showcased as part of event. Featuring Milind Soman, India’s Mantastic Man, donning different avatars of an Indian manly man across geographies, the videos have already garnered over five million views in the social media space.
“Celebration of International Men’s Day gives perfect opportunity to an increasing number of Indian men who are unleashing their masculine self! In fact, this reflects in today’s society as well, with showbiz icons, Vidyut, Sonu and Rana perfectly embodying the trend. I am happy to be the face of this irreverent campaign that will change the prevalent mindset and inspire men across India to take pride in unleashing their manlier versions,” remarked India Face of Old Spice Milind Soman.
Rana Daggubati exclaimed, “Young men are now imitating their new icons and graduating from metrosexuals to a new Manly Man era! Through our Mantastic messages, I hope Indian men take a cue and unleash a manlier avatar of themselves.”
Old Spice Country Marketing Manager Nikhil Ramesh said, “International Men’s Day is the perfect occasion to celebrate ‘Smell Mantastic’ Campaign. Old Spice’s ‘Smell Mantastic’ campaign is designed to inspire Indian men to express themselves and help unleash the manlier version of them. The Mantastic Brigade – Milind Soman, Vidyut Jamwal, Rana Daggubati and Sonu Sood – have done an amazing job of bringing alive the Old Spice campaign and its raw masculinity.”
With its new campaign, Old Spice also launched a cool range of manly scented deodorants with captivating, refreshing, and long lasting scents, all cooked up in the Old Spice scent kitchen.
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.
