MAM
The Belgian Waffle Co launches “Hunt For The Coolest Fans” campaign with Palak Tiwari
Mumbai: The Belgian Waffle Co, reveals its latest campaign: ‘Hunt for the Coolest Fans’ along with Gen Z star Palak Tiwari. Known for her vibrant personality, she perfectly embodies the spirit of the “coolest fan” campaign. Her widespread appeal among Gen Z audiences makes her an ideal choice to inspire participants to unleash their creativity while relishing their favorite waffles.
The campaign concept is all about capturing the essence of enjoying delicious waffles in a fun and creative way. The #MyWaffleMove contest participants will have a chance to win iPhone 15, Bose headphones, Boat smartwatches, and 1000 plus vouchers from the Belgian Waffle Co, perfect to engage the brand’s target audience. It’s a celebration of individuality and the love for exquisite waffle experiences.
“We are excited to have Palak Tiwari to represent all our cool fans who brim with joy while relishing their favorite waffles, at our stores or in the comfort of their homes. Her energy and enthusiasm align perfectly with the spirit of the ‘Coolest Fan’ campaign. We believe she will inspire our participants to bring their best moves forward for the contest,” said The Belgian Waffle Co head of marketing Vrushali Parab.
In a delightfully playful video, the vivacious Palak Tiwari is spotted indulging her favorite Triple Chocolate waff-wich at The Belgian Waffle Co’s flagship store at Chowpatty. She showcases her unique “Waffle Move,” combining the joy of devouring the treat with some fun dance moves. Palak, a true waffle aficionado, extends a lively invitation to all her fans, encouraging them to join the excitement of the #MyWaffleMove contest.
After receiving a lot of traction in the pre-buzz phase by the leaked employee footage and various meme pages creating fun content around the same, the brand is now keeping the excitement levels high amongst its target by collaborating with influencers across different sectors like lifestyle, food & entertainment. The campaign will further see social media collaborations with brands like Boat, Swiggy, and other on-ground activations to enhance campaign reach further.
Join Palak Tiwari and The Belgian Waffle Co in the ultimate celebration of waffles, creativity, and fun! Groove, play, and win with the #MyWaffleMove.
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.
