Mumbai: VML India has secured two finalist positions at Cairns Hatchlings 2026, marking a strong follow-up to its performance at the inaugural edition last year, where it was the sole Indian agency in the finals.
This year, two teams from the agency have advanced to the final round in the Audio and Design categories, underlining VML India’s continued focus on nurturing creative talent on a global stage.
In the Audio category, Senior Copywriter Shilpi Dey and Senior Art Director Raj Thakkar collaborated on a campaign titled ‘Inner Voice, Interrupted’ for LIVE LIKE MMAD. The concept leverages spatial audio techniques to simulate the overwhelming nature of self-doubt, using sound design to interrupt negative internal dialogue and replace it with a voice of confidence. Targeted at commuters via Spotify during evening rush hours, the campaign reframes post-work fatigue as an opportunity for personal growth and social impact.
In the Design category, Art Directors Shabbir and Shruti Negi developed a campaign for Canteen’s Bandanna Day. Their work uses a pixelated visual language to depict how cancer isolates teenagers from key life moments, contrasting blurred imagery with sharp focus to symbolise the restoration of identity and confidence through support.
Commenting on the achievement, Kalpesh Patankar, Group Chief Creative Officer, VML India, said, “We are immensely proud to see our teams consistently excel on the Cairns Hatchlings platform since its inception. They have masterfully tackled challenging briefs across diverse categories, demonstrating both layered storytelling and a unique creative approach. This exceptional teamwork is truly inspiring. We are eager to see them continue to excel in the final round, guided by their unwavering human-first creative ethos.”
Sharing their excitement, Shilpi Dey and Raj Thakkar said, “We’re thrilled to be in the finals, especially in the Audio category once again. 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. Being recognised at Cairns Hatchlings 2026 alongside such remarkable talent is an extraordinary privilege. For us, 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 and follow what they’ve always wanted to do. We’re looking forward to the finals and the live brief, and to delivering our best this year.”
On competing in the Design category, Shabbir and Shruti Negi added, “We’re incredibly excited to be in the Cairns Hatchlings finals. Competing in Design this year has been a completely different beast, and the experience has been both creatively stimulating and deeply enriching. 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. We’re eagerly looking forward to the final brief and the journey ahead.”
The four finalists will travel to Australia to compete in the next stage of the competition starting May 13 at the Cairns Convention Centre. The final round will involve tackling a live 24-hour brief from the United Nations, culminating in a live pitch session and awards ceremony scheduled for May 15, 2026.
