MAM
Shilpa Shetty and Palak Tiwari shine in Mamaearth’s ubtan glow campaign
MUMBAI: The movie glow squad just got stronger! Mamaearth, India’s leading toxin-free personal care brand, has roped in Palak Tiwari as its newest brand ambassador, joining the ever-radiant Shilpa Shetty Kundra. The mother-daughter energy (well, almost!) shines through in the brand’s latest campaign, celebrating the age-old goodness of Ubtan for a sun-kissed glow minus the sun damage.
The campaign, conceptualised by Havas Creative India, features a fun and relatable TVC where Palak realises her once-radiant skin has dulled due to pollution and tanning. Enter Shilpa Shetty Kundra, glowing (as always) and ready with a solution—Mamaearth’s Ubtan Face Wash. Infused with turmeric and saffron, the product taps into traditional skincare wisdom to bring back lost radiance. With the tagline ‘Tan Hataye, Glow Lautaye’, the campaign reinforces Mamaearth’s promise of blending nature’s goodness with science-backed skincare.
Honasa Consumer Ltd EVP & chief marketing officer Anuja Mishra stated, “Ubtan has been an integral part of Indian skincare for generations, and our Ubtan Face Wash has become a favourite among consumers. Palak’s youthful energy and strong connect with Gen Z make her the perfect addition to the Mamaearth family alongside Shilpa, who has been a trusted face of the brand. Together, they create the ideal mix of experience and fresh appeal to reinforce our commitment to natural and effective skincare.”
Palak Tiwari shared, “Mamaearth stands for Goodness Inside, not just in its products but also in its sustainability efforts. As someone who swears by natural skincare, being part of this journey is incredibly special especially alongside Shilpa Shetty Kundra, whose timeless glow is proof that nature always wins.”
Shilpa Shetty Kundra added, “Mamaearth has been close to my heart for years. Their commitment to safe, natural, and effective skincare is why I love being a part of this journey. With Palak joining the family, we are making sure the power of Ubtan reaches every generation!”
The campaign is now live across TV, digital, social media, and OOH platforms, ensuring Mamaearth’s glow goals reach audiences across the country.
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.
