McCann India, Mothership Productions and D&AD have announced the winners of Fresh Take 2026, a new platform for emerging ad film directors. Independent director Vinod Ravi won the inaugural edition, earning international exposure and commercial commissions, while Atul Pathak and Disha Daswani were named runners‑up, spotlighting fresh creative voices in advertising.
Independent director Vinod Ravi has been named the winner of the first edition of Fresh Take 2026, a talent discovery platform launched by McCann India in partnership with Mothership Productions and D&AD. The initiative, designed to spotlight emerging voices in ad filmmaking, culminated in Ravi securing a paid trip to the D&AD Festival 2027 in London and a commission to direct two commercials for McCann India. Atul Pathak and Disha Daswani were recognised as runners‑up, marking the beginning of what organisers hope will become a defining programme for the industry.
The platform was conceived to address a long‑standing gap in the advertising sector: the absence of structured mechanisms to identify and nurture fresh talent. Rahul Mathew, chief creative officer at McCann India, explained that the business is entirely dependent on creative individuals. “We always wanted to do something like this, but we never got around to doing it. Unlike many industries, we are only a talent industry. There is actually nothing else. We are only as good as the talent that touches the world,” he said.
For McCann India, the launch of Fresh Take 2026 represents a deliberate effort to move beyond the “tried and tested” approach that has dominated recent years. By creating a formal platform, the agency aims to ensure that promising directors are not overlooked and that the industry continues to evolve with new perspectives. Kashif Memon, founder and executive producer at Mothership Productions, echoed this sentiment, emphasising the importance of giving young directors visibility and opportunities to demonstrate their storytelling abilities in commercial contexts.
The winners were selected after a rigorous evaluation of submissions, with Ravi’s work standing out for its originality and craft. His victory not only secures international exposure at the D&AD Festival but also places him directly within McCann’s creative pipeline, offering him the chance to translate his vision into mainstream advertising projects. For Pathak and Daswani, the recognition as runners‑up provides a valuable platform to build credibility and momentum early in their careers.
The inaugural edition of Fresh Take 2026 signals a broader shift in the industry towards institutionalising talent discovery. By partnering with D&AD, a global educational charity known for championing creativity, McCann India and Mothership Productions have ensured that the programme is anchored in international standards while remaining focused on the local context. The organisers believe that initiatives like this will help India’s advertising sector remain dynamic, competitive, and globally relevant.
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