MAM
Salt Brand Solutions adds Sidharth Singh to its team
MUMBAI: Salt Brand Solutions, known for offering holistic brand solutions, has added Sidharth Singh to its team. Since the company does not believe in assigning designationS, his addition is being termed as ‘a new addition to its society of members‘.
At Salt brand solutions, Singh will take charge of shaping the design capabilities of the company. He will work along with co-founder Mahesh Chauhan to manage business and build client portfolio.
Salt Brand Solutions co-founder Mahesh Chauhan said, “In line with the holistic approach of the company, we understand the need for design to be a key element of any communication offering. Sidharth brings with him not only extensive experience in managing client businesses, but a
keen insight into product and communication design. He is also a perfect fit into our culture, with his incredible people skills and relationship with clients.”
Singh said, “For any organisation to succeed, clarity of intent and action are vital. At Salt, there are diverse people coming together, but each member of its team is anchored by a common, distinctive belief and work ethic. To be a part of a set-up and a team that is so completely in unison about what it is driven towards is a dream for any professional.”
Singh, who has 15 years of experience, was earlier the national head of WHO!, Rediffusion- Y&R‘s design arm. Besides, he has worked with agencies like Leo Burnett and Publicis. He has worked on brands like Rasna, Union, Nerolac Paints and DHFC Mutual Funds.
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.
