Mumbai: VML India has secured a major international creative recognition at Cairns Hatchlings 2026, with Senior Copywriter Shilpi Dey and Senior Art Director Raj Thakkar winning the top honour in the Audio category for their campaign idea, ‘The Sounds of Humanity’.
The duo emerged victorious after responding to a live 24-hour brief from the UN Foundation, which challenged participants to explore ways of helping save 87 million lives by redirecting the subscription economy towards human survival initiatives.
Their winning concept, ‘The Sounds of Humanity,’ used real-time API integration to create a dynamic Spotify track composed entirely of global user uploads. By transforming everyday human sounds into an evolving and interactive anthem, the campaign sought to convert a large-scale humanitarian issue into an intimate and emotionally engaging audio experience.
Speaking about the experience, Shilpi Dey and Raj Thakkar said, “Working on a brief of this magnitude for the UN Foundation, with a 24-hour countdown ticking in the background, was an unforgettable experience. We battled through nerves, self-doubt, and sleeplessness, but the sheer purpose behind the brief kept us going. We wanted to use the raw, real sounds of people to create an immediate emotional connection and prove that audio can be an active tool for solidarity. We are incredibly grateful to our mentors at VML India for their unwavering support, and seeing our names as winners makes every scrapped idea and late-night pivot completely worth it.”
Congratulating the team on the achievement, Kalpesh Patankar, Group Chief Creative Officer, VML India, said, “This recognition is truly special as it comes from a platform dedicated to emerging talent across APAC. Shilpi and Raj winning in the Audio category at Cairns Hatchlings 2026 reinforces our belief that the next generation of Indian creatives is well rounded to produce work that is globally relevant, culturally nuanced and emotionally compelling. We’re immensely proud of the team for turning a powerful human insight into an idea that resonated so strongly on an international stage.”
This year’s Cairns Hatchlings finals featured one team each from VML India across the Audio and Design categories, continuing the agency’s creative momentum at the competition since its inception last year.
