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VML India Appoints Dhruv Warrior as executive creative director
MUMBAI: VML India has announced the appointment of Dhruv Warrior as executive creative director. With over 17 years of experience in advertising and brand communication, Warrior brings a strong mix of creativity, strategy, and cultural inclusion.
An internationally awarded creative leader, Warrior has held various positions with JWT, VMLY&R Dubai, and FoxyMoron. He has consistently delivered bold, award-winning campaigns, integrating technology, emerging trends, and precise craft to bring evocative and culturally inclusive campaigns to life.
VML India CEO Babita Baruah said, “We are excited to have Dhruv join our team. Dhruv’s commitment to infusing creativity with culture will continue to elevate VML’s ethos. Dhruv will work closely with Kalpesh Patankar and Sachin Dhir to continue driving our best work for our clients.”
VML India CCO, Kalpesh Patankar said, “Dhruv brings in the creativity that understands both global ambitions and local nuances. He has a keen cultural sensibility and a strong command of modern storytelling. VML is constantly evolving to be creatively bold, strategically relevant, and deeply connected to the audiences we serve. We are excited to have Dhruv join us and we look forward to doing some great work.”
“I am thrilled to join VML India,” said Warrior. “I firmly believe that creative thinking is the engine of transformation, driving strategy, media, engagement, and innovation. VML has set a benchmark in merging insights, strategy, technology, and innovation in their work, and I look forward to continuing to build the strategic acumen to further strengthen the agency’s creative vision. I would like to thank the leadership for this opportunity, and I am certain we are going to continue to bring out great work for our brands.”
Warrior will be based out of VML’s Bangalore office and will report into Kalpesh Patankar.
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Lego brings Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Vinicius together
Campaign clocks 314 million views ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 buzz.
MUMBAI: Four legends, one frame and not a single tackle in sight. Lego has pulled off a crossover few thought possible, uniting Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior in a single campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 only this time, they’re building dreams brick by brick.
Titled “Everyone wants a piece”, the campaign features the quartet assembling a Lego version of the World Cup trophy, before placing miniature versions of themselves atop it, a playful nod to football’s ultimate prize. Shared widely across social media, the ad carries a pointed disclaimer: it is not AI-generated, a subtle but telling signal in an era where even reality is often questioned.
The numbers tell their own story. The campaign has already crossed 314 million views on Instagram across the players’ accounts, with fans hailing it as a rare, almost nostalgic moment particularly for the reunion of Messi and Ronaldo, whose last shared campaign ahead of the 2022 World Cup became one of the platform’s most-liked posts.
Beyond the film, Lego is extending the play with exclusive, player-themed sets tied to each of the four stars, part of a broader football-led programme designed to ride the global momentum building towards 2026. The idea, as echoed by the players themselves, leans into the parallels between football and play experimentation, creativity, failure, and triumph.
Messi described the sets as a way to bring on-pitch moments into an imaginative, hands-on world, while Ronaldo called the transformation into a Lego figure a rare honour, blending sport with storytelling. Vinícius, meanwhile, struck a more personal note, recalling childhood moments of building with Lego and framing creativity as a universal language that transcends borders.
The timing is no accident. With the 2026 World Cup set to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and featuring an expanded 48-team format, global anticipation is already building. Argentina, led by Messi, will enter as defending champions, adding another layer of intrigue.
For Lego, the campaign does more than celebrate football, it taps into its mythology. Because when icons become figurines and rivalries turn into play, the beautiful game finds a new kind of pitch. one built, quite literally, by hand.
