MAM
Photo blogging site ‘Mobylog’ debuts
MUMBAI: With one in every three mobile phone users wielding a camera phone these days, the popularity of the technology is signaling yet another blogging revolution, this time photo blogging.
Midas Events, a below-the-line communications agency, has launched ‘Mobylog – mobylogger’s lounge’, India’s first full photo blogging solution. The URL of the website is www.mobylog.com.
Mobile blogging offers camera phone users the opportunity to instantly transfer their pictures to their own personal presence on the Net. Through Mobylog, a camera phone user can readily be a part of the online photo journal phenomenon without downloading any additional software or going through a long drawn registration process. All you need to do is Click a Photo, Tag a message / comment through MMS & Send to your personal moblyog page, enabling instant viewing & sharing online.
Mobylog is designed for the typical mobile phone user and ease of use is one of its key features. The sites advanced architecture supports almost all GSM networks and the full range of multimedia standards and handset capabilities. It incorporates a wide range of mobylogging features such as commenting, bookmaking, favourites, messaging etc that provides rich & personalized service, states a company release.
Midas Events MD Deepak Pawar said, “We are upbeat about Mobile blogging as the concept has tremendous potential and the unique ability of the use to tailor the application to suit ones needs.”
At Mobylog efforts to sustain & grow the user base are being carried out by promoting the addictive nature of the service & encouraging users to frequently stay connected through pictures. The campaign innocuously asks “Aaj Photu Dala Kya?” subtly reminding the user to frequently post on the site & encouraging others to join in the fun, the release adds.
Midas Events has set up the entire backroom operations towards maintenance and sustenance of the site. The agency is headquartered in Mumbai with operational offices in all metros and major mini metros, and offices across India.
Pawar adds, “With our core competencies spread over brand communications and brand identity management services, converging the spectrum of mediums through creative use of technology, mobylog is the next step in providing interpersonal communication solutions to the constantly mobile. While many such services would be existing across the world, this is the first fully Indian service and first from India.”
With the technology introduced in June 2003 and today nearly 6 per cent of Americans are mobile bloggers. With 47 million mobile phone users currently in India fast upgrading to camera phones, the market here is vast. Mobylog has taken the initiative to add value by providing these users an opportunity to use their camera phone to communicate, interact & share their moments in an exciting new way.
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.
