MAM
Star unveils Re.Imagine Awards for IPL ad campaigns
MUMBAI: The American Super Bowl continues to remain one of the most awaited sporting leagues around the world. It is that time of the year when brands don their creative hats to come up with some of the most interesting and ingenious advertisements.
Taking inspiration from Super Bowl and its notable campaigns over the years and in a bid to bring similar advertising culture in Indian sports advertising, Star India has decided to award the most creative advertisements that will run during IPL 2018. The Star Re.Imagine Awards will recognise creativity and innovation in the use of integrated media in advertising campaigns aired during IPL on Star Sports and Hotstar.
Every creative broadcast on Star Sports and streamed on Hotstar during the league will automatically be eligible for the Star Re.Imagine Awards. A high-powered jury, including the likes of advertising legend Sir John Hegarty, one of the world’s most celebrated creative directors Piyush Pandey, acclaimed filmmaker Raju Hirani, marketing veteran Vibha Rishi, digital evangelist Rahul Welde and ad-man V Sunil will deliberate on the winners on 26 May and select two campaigns that they believe have excelled in terms of creativity and leveraging the platform. Two winning teams of 24 members each will be hosted for a premier global sporting event.
Star India head consumer strategy & innovation Gayatri Yadav said, “Vivo IPL 2018 is poised to be one of the biggest sporting events ever and is the most powerful platform to connect with consumers and build brands. Star Re.imagine Awards is a first of its kind initiative that will celebrate and recognise creativity & the integrated use of media on this the largest stage of any campaign. We are very excited to bring together a bespoke independent jury of some of the most eminent names across marketing, media and storytelling to celebrate two campaigns aired during this IPL on Star Sports network and Hotstar which push the boundaries of creativity. Recognising that great campaigns are powered by great teamwork the award will celebrate members of the integrated team across marketing, creative and media, who will be hosted for a premier global sporting event.”
Partnering Star India in this initiative are Sideways, Kyoorius and audit partner PWC.
For the first time, Vivo IPL 2018 proposes to connect with many Indians in six relevant languages—Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Bengali. By leveraging the combined reach of digital and television, the tournament will be broadcast on multiple TV channels and live streamed on Hotstar with an aim to reach out to 700 million fans across TV and digital in India. This will be one of the first few leagues in the world which proposes to use virtual reality (VR) and to bring live action from the stadium to fan homes. This immersive VR experience would make it possible for fans to come closer to the high-octane matches from the comfort of their homes. Along with dedicated language feeds, the network also proposes to have a Super Fan Feed available across cable, DTH and on Hotstar. This will be a curated feed for the intense fans who want more than just to watch the game. It may also include features like multiple camera angle options while viewing and data layers about the teams and players during the telecast.
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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.
