MAM
#VMateAsliHolibaaz campaign creates new milestone in short video content creation
MUMBAI: #VMateAsliHolibaaz, the star-studded Holi campaign by trending short video platform VMate, has concluded on a high note. The campaign that comprised India’s top YouTubers Bhuvan Bam and Ashish Chanchlani, along with dancing diva Sapna Chaudhary, became a sensation on short video as well as social media platforms. Defying conventions, VMate’s campaign emerged as a platform for its creator to showcase their talent, and simultaneously captured the fancy of viewers on other global platforms such as YouTube or Instagram. #VMateAsliHolibaaz went beyond offering video stickers and roped in celebrated stars in their own domain. The campaign received around 2 billion impressions through different social media platforms and YouTube.
The Holi campaign gifted VMate users a film, wherein India’s top YouTube stars Bhuvan Bam and Ashish Chanchlani acted together for the first time. Three VMate creators also got a chance to act in the film and share the screen with the YouTubers. Bhuvan and Ashish featured in a race to become ‘Asli Holibaaz’, sending their fans into a tizzy. The admirers of the online sensations participated in a contest, casting votes for their favourite. The contest witnessed an overwhelming response with over 5 lakh votes being cast in a neck-and-neck fight, while at least 12 million users logged in to be part of the campaign. Interesting prizes were also in store for the users who participated in the contest through VMate app or browsed through http://bit.ly/3aw3Vx4.
The other highlight of the campaign was a Holi song featuring Sapna Chaudhary of Bigg Boss fame, who added her desi vibes to make the video go viral on social media platforms. As part of #SapnaHoliDance, users with millions of followers performed Sapna’s hook step and posted their videos online.
Excitement ran high for #VMateAsliHolibaaz since inception when the stars converged in Mumbai for the shooting of the videos and interacted with the media. And when Ashish shared the news of working with Bhuvan on Instagram, the likes of famous Bollywood rapper Badshah reacted, lauding the two for their ‘Modi-Trump’ and ‘Karan-Arjun’ moments. What followed was fans going crazy over the first look and trailer of the film, which trended on social media platforms. And then came the perfect Holi gift for VMate users – #VMateAsliHolibaaz, the film.
Talking about the success of the campaign, VMate Associate Director Nisha Pokhriyal said, “#VMateAsliHolibaaz emphasized upon our commitment to provide the best experience to the users of short video platforms. Our campaign touched the pulse of the users and the massive response garnered is a manifestation of the same. Millions of users got engaged with us through the film, music video as well as the contest. There could not have been a better Holi gift for the VMate family.
#VMateAsliHolibaaz has altered how global online platforms look at campaigns. The campaign was of many firsts. It didn’t just provide a stage to its creators, but also engaged users through an interactive mechanism. Also, the users got a chance to win bumper prizes like smartphones and car. #VMateAsliHolibaaz also saw YouTube stars Bhuvan and Ashish come together for the first time, and their joint creation was loved by the audience whole-heartedly. VMate has certainly set the bar high, with a promise that it will keep entertaining and engaging its users with several similar campaigns in the future.
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.
