The Research Club of the Department of Business Administration (MBA), St Agnes College (Autonomous), Mangaluru, organized an exciting and intellectually stimulating competition titled “Ad Wars: Clash of Controversies” on 21st November 2025 at the Seminar Hall, Centenary Block. The event witnessed enthusiastic participation from I and II Year MBA students, creating a vibrant platform for critical thinking, creativity, and debate.
The competition began at 2:15 PM with an introduction to the rules and guidelines by Mrs. Sheryl Preethika, Faculty Coordinator of the Research Club. A total of 24 teams competed across 12 rounds, where each round featured two teams—one speaking For and the other Against a selected advertisement. The event was judged by Mrs. Sheryl Preethika and Mr. Roopesh Kumar, Assistant Professors, MBA who evaluated participants on clarity, logic, confidence, and relevance of arguments.
Students presented their views on a wide range of popular and controversial advertisements, including brands such as Fair & Lovely, Axe Deodorant, Patanjali, Maggi, Toyota, Dove, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Paytm, Jio, and celebrity endorsements like those by Shah Rukh Khan and Akshay Kumar. The activity encouraged students to analyze ethical concerns, social messaging, marketing influence, and consumer perception, making the session both entertaining and insightful.
After intense rounds of debate, the winners were declared as follows:
1st Place: Against – Keerthana & Team (Maggi)
2nd Place (Shared): Against – Athmika (Toyota) and Against – Esha (Akshay Kumar – Vimal Pan Masala)
3rd Place: Against – Zamiya (Patanjali Beauty Ads)
The competition highlighted strong analytical abilities and commendable communication skills among the students.
Overall, Ad Wars: Clash of Controversies proved to be a dynamic learning experience, helping students develop critical reasoning, marketing awareness, and presentation skills. The event concluded on a successful note, reflecting the department’s commitment to experiential and activity-based learning.
