Team Power Rangers Claims First Brand Canvas Title for UTI MF Ad

VIT Business School’s Team Power Rangers has won the first edition of Brand Canvas, a national advertisement film contest organised by Business Standard’s edtech platform BSmart. The team’s 30-second commercial for UTI Mutual Fund conveyed how choosing the right investment channel helps wealth grow, earning them the top spot among 78 teams from across India.

The grand finale took place at Kristu Jayanti University’s Airport Road campus in Bengaluru, where 10 finalist teams presented their advertisements. Buzz Builders from RK University, Rajkot, were declared first runners-up for a Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) film that stressed retirement planning and steady income. Team Fourth Element of XIME Kochi secured second runners-up with another UTI MF ad that traced the evolution of saving, from piggy banks to modern financial instruments.

The contest, which began with campus visits in February and March, invited B-school students to pick one of four real brand briefs — from PFRDA, UTI MF, Manyavar and MilkyMist Capella — and create a commercial on a first-come, first-served basis. After a national qualifier round in May, the top teams advanced to the final, where they showcased their work before a jury and a panel discussion on AI’s role in branding featuring leaders from UTI MF, PFRDA, MilkyMist and Havas Creative Network.

Participants gained direct exposure to industry veterans, including advertising film guru Prahlad Kakkar, and the winning films are now being shared across the brands’ and Business Standard’s social media channels, providing broad visibility for the students’ work.

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Why Brand Canvas 2026 Signals a Shift in B-School Learning

A Real-World Bridge Between Classroom and Industry

Brand Canvas 2026 reflects how edtech platforms are moving beyond online courses to offer experiential learning that directly links students with corporate demands. By working on actual brand briefs, participants faced the constraints of budget, equipment and 30-second storytelling that mirrors professional ad-making, giving them a taste of the creative and strategic pressures of the advertising world.

What the Contest Delivers for Participating Brands

For brands like UTI MF, PFRDA and MilkyMist, the competition is more than a corporate social responsibility exercise. It grants access to original creative concepts from a generation of future consumers and potential employees. The wide circulation of the student-created ads on official channels also amplifies brand messaging without the costs of a traditional agency pitch. The collaboration with BSmart signals a growing trend of brands embedding themselves in academic ecosystems to scout talent and test fresh narratives.

Limited Scale but High Engagement

With 78 teams and a single grand finale, the inaugural edition remains modest in size but drew active participation from leading B-schools. The fact that students had to physically present their films and interact with panels suggests a high level of commitment, and the praise from professional jury members indicates that the output was, in many cases, ready for professional viewing. The contest’s trajectory will depend on how many brands sign on for future editions and whether it can scale beyond a handful of campuses.