MAM
Pride Month: Chimp&z Inc celebrates with workplace coming-out stories
Mumbai: Ad agency Chimp&z Inc celebrated the LGBTQIA+ members of the advertising community by bringing them together for its digital Pride parade, #PrideOfAdvertising, all through the month of June. Conceptualised and executed by the integrated digital agency, the campaign was initiated to understand, support, and celebrate the culture of inclusivity and acceptance at workplaces. The agency collaborated with other agency professionals, brand managers, and freelancers who are out, proud & successful.
The #PrideOfAdvertising brings out the perspective of people who identify as queer from various facets of advertising and media through a candid yet meaningful ‘Q&A’ series on the agency’s social media pages. The responses beautifully captured their coming-out emotions, reaction to homo/transphobic comments, and some heartening tips for others to come out.
https://www.instagram.com/chimpandzinc/guide/pride-of-advertising/17950009009463873/
“Coming out is a challenge for the LGBTQIA+ community, not just personally but professionally and psychologically as well,” Chimp&z Inc CEO & co-founder Angad Singh Manchanda said. “The urban LGBTQIA+ activism has created space for individuals to defy societal norms and perceptions and choose to live as per their will. With awareness of LGBTQIA+ rights rising, the list of Pride-themed campaigns taking over the internet in June keeps getting longer and more meaningful. We wanted to do more than just tell stories. We brought out the perspective of each individual and their experience in the industry after coming out professionally. This digital campaign sets out a virtual pride parade that honors LGBTQIA+ members of the advertising community. I trust it will evolve and adapt to the changing society in the coming years.”
The campaign featured agency-smiths: Chimp&z Inc group account manager Sumitro Sircar, AdGlobal 360 associate creative director Dev Mitra Roy, Schbang’s design lead Krina Satra, Gozoop account planner Romario Fernandes, WATConsult’s lead copywriter Mansi Shanbag, and Sugar Rush Media House’s talent & creative head Tanya Nagrani.
The agency also partnered with media and brand mavens: The Red Pen marketing manager Archit Ambekar, Humans of Queer founder Yash Sharma, Beunic’s co-founder Ashish Chopra, Amaltas Apparel & Accessories brand manager Anish Prasad, and make-up trainer Saikat Chakraborty. The agency also collaborated with creative freelancers: social media manager & content creator Priyesha Nair, celebrity makeup & hair artist Abhijit Chanda, queer artist Suvajit Mandal, content strategist & e-commerce content marketing expert Sunny Pandey, and social media influencer Gaurav Pandey.
The agency summed up the campaign by featuring the national award-winning filmmaker, Onir, also known for being one of the earliest advocates for LGBTQIA+ rights in India.
MAM
Lego brings Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Vinicius together
Campaign clocks 314 million views ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 buzz.
MUMBAI: Four legends, one frame and not a single tackle in sight. Lego has pulled off a crossover few thought possible, uniting Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior in a single campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 only this time, they’re building dreams brick by brick.
Titled “Everyone wants a piece”, the campaign features the quartet assembling a Lego version of the World Cup trophy, before placing miniature versions of themselves atop it, a playful nod to football’s ultimate prize. Shared widely across social media, the ad carries a pointed disclaimer: it is not AI-generated, a subtle but telling signal in an era where even reality is often questioned.
The numbers tell their own story. The campaign has already crossed 314 million views on Instagram across the players’ accounts, with fans hailing it as a rare, almost nostalgic moment particularly for the reunion of Messi and Ronaldo, whose last shared campaign ahead of the 2022 World Cup became one of the platform’s most-liked posts.
Beyond the film, Lego is extending the play with exclusive, player-themed sets tied to each of the four stars, part of a broader football-led programme designed to ride the global momentum building towards 2026. The idea, as echoed by the players themselves, leans into the parallels between football and play experimentation, creativity, failure, and triumph.
Messi described the sets as a way to bring on-pitch moments into an imaginative, hands-on world, while Ronaldo called the transformation into a Lego figure a rare honour, blending sport with storytelling. Vinícius, meanwhile, struck a more personal note, recalling childhood moments of building with Lego and framing creativity as a universal language that transcends borders.
The timing is no accident. With the 2026 World Cup set to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and featuring an expanded 48-team format, global anticipation is already building. Argentina, led by Messi, will enter as defending champions, adding another layer of intrigue.
For Lego, the campaign does more than celebrate football, it taps into its mythology. Because when icons become figurines and rivalries turn into play, the beautiful game finds a new kind of pitch. one built, quite literally, by hand.
