Image (left to right): Shilpi Dey and Raj Thakkar (above), Shabbir and Shruti Negi (below)
Continuing its impressive momentum from the inaugural edition of Cairns Hatchlings in 2025, VML India has doubled down with two teams advancing to the final round this year. The two teams have secured finalist spots in the Audio and Design categories, respectively, showcasing a consistent dedication to fostering top-tier creative talent on a global stage, after being the sole Indian agency in the finals last year.
The finalists from the two teams bring a diverse mix of personal passions that actively fuel their creative thinking. Senior copywriter Shilpi Dey and senior art director Raj Thakkar teamed up to participate in the Audio category. Driven by an analytical eye for detail and a love for the written word, Shilpi crafts precisely layered copy, while Raj translates his passion for sound and cinema into dynamic, multi-sensory art direction. For the Design category, art directors Shabbir and Shruti Negi joined forces. Shabbir draws on his deep interest in AI filmmaking and poetry to push storytelling boundaries alongside Shruti, who brings a dynamic and fast-paced visual sensibility, deeply influenced by her passion for anime, F1, cinema, and the craft of advertising, shaping work that is both stylistically bold and narratively engaging.
For the Audio category, the team tackled a brief for LIVE LIKE MMAD with a campaign titled ‘Inner Voice, Interrupted’. They used spatial audio techniques to recreate the overwhelming self-doubt people experience after a long workday. The campaign physically pans these negative thoughts left and right before abruptly cutting the noise to present a confident voice. This execution reframes the hours beyond the standard workday as a chance to take on a challenge and support young people. By strategically targeting commuters via Spotify during evening rush hours the campaign successfully turns everyday fatigue into an empowering opportunity for personal growth and charitable action.
For the Design category, the team worked on a brief for Canteen’s Bandanna Day, highlighting the heartbreaking reality of how cancer pushes teenagers out of their own defining moments. Their strategic approach uses a pixelated design language to create a stark contrast between a blurred world of isolation and a focused world of connection. The campaign brings the ‘Flipside of Cancer’ to life by visually demonstrating teens fading into the background of major milestones like birthdays, skateparks and school proms. As the Canteen bandanna appears, the blur flips to bring the teenager back into sharp focus proving how crucial support restores both confidence and personal identity.
Commenting on this new feat, 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.”
Returning to the final stage this year, Shilpi Dey, senior copywriter, along with Cairns Hatchlings debutant Raj Thakkar, senior art director, VML India, shared, “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.”
After tasting success in the Audio category last year, Shabbir, art director, VML India, and this year’s debutante Shruti Negi, art director, VML India said, “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 phase of the Cairns Hatchlings competition starting May 13. They will tackle a live 24-hour brief from the United Nations at the Cairns Convention Centre culminating in a live pitch session and be a part of the highly anticipated awards ceremony on May 15, 2026.
