LONDON, UK – VML India’s Group Chief Creative Officer Kalpesh Patankar, known to most as Kal, is one of the industry’s most respected creative leaders, having earned accolades across the world from Cannes Lions to Adweek’s Global Agency Leaders list.
In his latest role as Jury President for the Press & Outdoor category at the 2025 D&AD Awards, Kal talked to adobo Magazine for an exclusive look into this year’s judging process, the timeless allure of print, and what it takes to win a coveted Yellow Pencil.
adobo Magazine: What excites you most about print and outdoor advertising today, in a world dominated by digital?
Kalpesh Patankar: I was just thinking about this on my flight back from London, flipping through the in-flight magazine. I stopped at a gorgeous watch ad — beautifully photographed, well-crafted, and it just grabbed my attention. There’s something magical about the tactile experience of print. It anchors you in reality. It’s the same difference between watching a video of the Taj Mahal and standing before it in person. Outdoor, too, has that power. Physical experiences are what make us human. A clever, striking billboard still has the power to make you look out the window of your cab and go, “wow” even in today’s tech-saturated world.
adobo Magazine: As Jury President, what were you looking for in outstanding work in this year’s entries?
Kalpesh: In a word? Authenticity. Which, really, covers a whole range of things — a fresh perspective, impeccable craft, soul-stirring emotion, or a powerful point of view. Across the work, different pieces stood out for different reasons. But the one thing they all had in common, was a sense of authenticity at the heart of the work that could be felt. An authentic, relatable insight, an authentic, painstaking effort in craft, or simply an authentic truth — boldly expressed. It was all work that made us feel the passion that the team put into it, and deserved to be applauded.
adobo Magazine: What does a Yellow Pencil-winning piece feel like when you see it?
Kalpesh: Uff, that’s a tough one. There is no standard rule. There is no formula. There cannot be — otherwise everyone would be doing it. It changes from piece to piece, from year to year, from jury to jury even, might I add. But if I had to quantify certain characteristics, I’d say that often, it feels fresh. It makes you wonder why no one saw that topic like that, in all these years, and appreciate the new perspective. Or it feels impressive in the endless hours of effort that might have gone into producing one simple visual — the craft, the love, the commitment. That often feels admirable, and worth awarding. And more often than not, it feels universal — you know you’ve got a Yellow Pencil where every juror in the room just nods instantly and goes, “Ooh, yes!” No debates, no discussions, just a shared, human appreciation for something beautiful. I hope that answers the question to some extent.
adobo Magazine: Were there any particular trends or shifts in storytelling or craft that stood out this year?
Kalpesh: Yes — one very noticeable one was real, human stories. From Adidas to Burger King or NBA or British Heart Foundation, there was a lot of work that was based on true human moment. Not imagined, not invented, but real and worthy of the world to see. The other thing I’d say, would be writing, perhaps. Often, in visual mediums like print and outdoor, imagery carries power and tells stories. But there was a lot of great copywriting that told powerful stories this year — from Heinz or Cadbury, to Reporters Without Borders or Change The Ref, Stella Artois, and more. And the final thing I’d say, is some very interesting craft techniques seen in work for the Berliner Philharmonie, OKA, Unilever’s Cornetto, and such.
adobo Magazine: How does D&AD define the scope of outdoor today?
Kalpesh: I’ve said this so many times over my career, in so many interviews, and I’ll keep saying it ‘til the end – idea. Idea is King, Queen, President and Prime Minister! It is everything. The execution could be a traditional billboard or an immersive, tech-enabled experience, hand-drawn or AI-generated – it all just serves the idea. How powerful and how appropriate was the idea for an outdoor placement, how creative, attention-grabbing, clever, or well-crafted was its execution, how iconic and memorable does it feel as an end-product seen by people walking or driving past it on a daily commute? Those are usually the kind of questions we ask of the work.
adobo Magazine: Where do you see the role of print and outdoor evolving in today’s fragmented media landscape?
Kalpesh: I think, print and outdoor still have the role they have always had — building the brand. Capturing your attention and imagination, and helping position the brand — giving it a personality and place in the audience’s worldviews. These are the places where you get to see the brand at its highest state of being, telling you what it stands for, what it represents in your life, and what you’ll remember it for. Today, we’ve got robust digital ecosystems for tactical advertising, communicating an offer, or closing the sale. Press and outdoor is about stirring your emotions and making you feel something about the brand.
adobo Magazine: Can you recall a piece that changed the way you thought about the medium?
Kalpesh: Well, there’s so much great work that’s happened over the decades — it would be unfair to single one out. So, if I may allow some self-indulgence, I’d go back to the piece of work that gave me my first big break in this beautiful, global industry of ours. It was the white billboard for Ariel. And for me, it opened up a world of possibilities and potential — it showed me how print, and outdoor specifically, has the power to be seen by millions of people and give the scale that can turn simple ideas into powerful statements.
adobo Magazine: With brands shifting budgets away from print, how is creativity being reinvented in this space?
Kalpesh: Well, just look at the pencil-winning work from this year’s show. There’s all kinds of brands — big, global names like Coca-Cola, Adidas, Unilever, NBA, Burger King, Heinz, Cadbury, Stella Artois, and even not-for-profits like Change The Ref or Reporters Without Borders. And they’ve all put in money behind big, beautiful, brand-building print and outdoor work that, we can all safely agree on, has reasserted the relevance — and power — of this medium. So, the proof is in the pudding. Creativity is constantly ensuring that the medium serves a purpose in giving brands — and their work — the stage they deserve.
adobo Magazine: What advice would you give to young creatives?
Kalpesh: I would say, study the industry. Study its history. Study the archives of shows like D&AD – they’re there on the website, accessible to everyone. And it offers a wealth of knowledge, experience, ideas, and learning that’s up for grabs. Great work is done by knowing what already has been done, so you can do things differently. And I think that’s an important rigor that young creatives sometimes tend to skip.
The Press & Outdoor category at D&AD celebrates outstanding creativity in traditional print and out-of-home advertising. From magazine spreads and newspaper ads to billboards, posters, murals, and ambient installations, this category highlights the power of visual storytelling in static, real-world formats. Whether crafted for mass exposure or hyper-local impact, winning work demonstrates exceptional art direction, copywriting, and conceptual brilliance.
D&AD Awards 2025 Press & Outdoor
Yellow Pencil winner
Cadbury, “Made to Share”
A bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk is made up of 36 chunks. It is literally Made to Share. And there is no better way to demonstrate that fact than with the packs themselves.
So Cadbury redesigned their bars of Dairy Milk to be shared proportionately, rewarding the generous ones amongst us with the largest share. Each pack was inspired by the relatable behaviours of our nearest and dearest, whether a family, a sharehouse, colleagues or a bunch of mates
Entrant Company: VCCP London
Client: Mondelez
Brand: Cadbury
Advertising Agency: VCCP London
Design Agency: Bulletproof London
Production Company: Girl&Bear
Country: United Kingdom
Graphite Pencil Winners
Adidas, “Yoga Village”
ADIDAS’ new brand platform, “You Got This,” aims to diffuse the pressure around sports so we can play with hope, joy, and freedom. In China, the purest embodiment of this is the story of Yugouliang, an impoverished village where elderly residents have transformed their lives through yoga. Rather than using the typically sleek look of sports advertising, we show these villagers in their natural setting, with their own clothes, in their own homes, doing their daily chores. The authenticity of the images makes them more visually arresting and impactful.
Entrant Company: TBWA\ Group China
Client: adidas
Brand: adidas
Advertising Agency: TBWA\ Group China
Design Agency: TBWA\ Group China
Production Company: Shanghai Shibei Media
Country: China
Heinz, “It Has To Be Fries”
After 156 years the taste of meals with Heinz lives in the nation’s subconscious. You can’t picture Ketchup without fries or Beanz without toast. This campaign taps into that deep-rooted association, using Heinz’s iconic pairings to reinforce its taste and quality. Each image celebrates a classic Heinz product — a swirl of ketchup, a dollop of mayo — designed to make you crave the taste and the food pairing to complete the experience. Even with no brand, logo or pack, pre-testing showed over 70% of consumers identified Heinz instantly, proving that the anticipation Heinz creates is second nature.
Entrant Company: Wieden+Kennedy London
Client: The Kraft Heinz Company
Brand: Heinz
Advertising Agency: Wieden+Kennedy London
Country: United Kingdom
NBA, “The Great Indian Dunk“
In a nation where cricket reigns supreme, NBA wanted to resonate with the heart of India. So, we delved deep into the country’s pulse, unearthing a shared passion for movement. By capturing unscripted moments of everyday life of kids jumping into ponds, hanging from an elephant’s tusk or leaping through branches, and showing how they emulated the iconic dunks of NBA MVPs, the brand found a powerful connection point. These candid shots celebrated the spirit of India and also hinted at the potential for basketball among Indians and the possibility of discovering India’s next 23 in a billion.
Entrant Company: Leo Burnett Dubai
Client: NBA India
Brand: NBA
Advertising Agency: Leo Burnett Dubai
Design Agency: Leo Burnett Dubai
Production Company: Leo Burnett Dubai
Country: United Arab Emirates
Stella Artois, “Claustrobars”
“Claustrobars.” A poster campaign showing every drinker’s worst nightmare: a chaotic, tightly packed bar, where bodies are pressed together, and personal space is non-existent. However, amongst all these squashed people is one happy person who grasp’s their prize: a freshly poured pint of Stella.
Alongside it is the tagline “Worth it”. This campaign captures a real truth: the best experiences often come with sacrifices, like cramped spaces and large crowds. But with Stella’s crisp, velvety taste, those imperfect moments become something more and the sacrifices suddenly feel worth it.
Entrant Company: Grey London
Client: AB InBev
Brand: Stella Artois
Advertising Agency: Grey London
Design Agency: Grey London
Production Company: Grey London, Ale Burset Studio
Country: Argentina, United Kingdom
British Heart Foundation, “Til I Died”
“’Til I Died” shattered perceptions of heart disease by remembering the lives of 12 young football fans who tragically died. 12 murals were hand-painted in each of their hometowns during EURO 2024 to highlight the fact that 12 young people are lost to sudden cardiac death every week in the UK.
The headline played on the iconic football chant “‘Til I Die.” By adding just one letter, we gave it a whole new meaning and captured the nation’s attention with over 300 pieces of news coverage. More importantly, donations flooded in to fund scientific research that will save lives.
Entrant Company: Saatchi & Saatchi London
Client: British Heart Foundation
Brand: British Heart Foundation
Advertising Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi London
Design Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi London
Country: United Kingdom
adobo Magazine is an official media partner of the 2025 D&AD Festival and the 2025 D&AD Awards.
