"At a time when some of the most uncomfortable workplace conversations revolve around the Gen Z–Millennial divide, and reports routinely question whether Gen Z is even the ‘right fit’ for professional environments or not. I found myself pushing back against that narrative from my lived experience. I lead a team that’s nearly 80% Gen Z, and while there are clear differences in how they communicate and operate, their contribution is meaningful, effective, and undeniable.
Every generation faces resistance. When millennials entered the workforce, we were labelled as too disruptive, too questioning, and too idealistic. Over time, those very traits reshaped workplace culture. Gen Z is simply a product of its time, growing up with early access to the internet, information, and global conversations. Their perspective is different, not deficient.
This thinking aligned naturally with Canva’s brand philosophy, ‘Dil Se Design Tak.’ At its core, the idea is simple: when you genuinely care, you put in extra effort, and design becomes the medium for that expression, with Canva enabling it. From this thought, the campaign took shape in two clear strands. One focused on personal expression, how people use Canva with friends and family. The other explored work use cases, particularly real-time collaboration, one of Canva’s strongest product truths, replacing older, fragmented file-sharing workflows.
The tension between generations became our emotional hook. We didn’t want to take sides or preach to anyone. The goal was to show that collaboration, enabled by a tool like Canva, can bridge differences. When you truly hear another perspective, empathy follows. That became the arc of the film.
We weren’t fully sure how the message would land. It was a tricky space, and we went through several script iterations to ensure we weren’t glorifying Gen Z or undermining millennials. Brave ideas, however, demand risk. Full credit to Canva for trusting the idea and being willing to take that chance.
Interestingly, this wasn’t the only route we explored. One script revolved around a ‘bring your kid to work’ day, where children accidentally mess up a presentation but their chaos sparks a brilliant idea. Another script featured an eight-year-old explaining her mother’s job, convinced she’s ‘cheating’ at work because Canva does everything: AI, Design, Decks, etc. To the child, it feels like magic, intercut with the reality of work behind the scenes. We proposed multiple ideas but collectively felt the Gen Z–Millennial story best captured the brand truth.
The challenge was that the scale was massive, around 12 films across three languages, making production extensive. Ideation and pitching took nearly three months, followed by two and a half months of production. Each film took about two and a half days per language to shoot. We were often racing against light, dropping visual ideas that didn’t add to the film’s grammar, and even switching locations at the last minute to find an office that felt legacy yet modern.
One of the bravest decisions came at the edit table. We changed the ending at the last minute based on a suggestion from the director. I rewrote it quickly, and it worked beautifully, smoother, more resolved, and emotionally stronger than what we’d planned. Looking back, the campaign reinforced something I deeply believe: when empathy leads the idea, and collaboration drives the process, the work finds its truth.”
About Kobita Banerjee
Kobita Banerjee is a Group Creative Director at OML with over 12 years of experience in creating impactful work while fostering a fun and collaborative creative culture. Across her career, she has led culture-shaping campaigns and IPs during her stints at Vice Media Group/Virtue Worldwide, Dentsu Webchutney, Toaster and DigitasLBi. Her portfolio includes work for iconic brands such as Johnnie Walker, Google, Flipkart, and Airtel, among others. In 2022, Banerjee was recognised among the LIA 100 Top Creatives, and she also played a key role in launching Diageo India’s DEI initiative, Table for Everyone.
Advertisements I loved in 2025
• Native RO (Urban Company): ‘Lambi Judai’
Best Campaigns
Canva: ‘Calm Chori’
Myntra: ‘Ek Aur Shaadi’
Bacardi: ‘It’s a Moodboard’
(As told to Yash Bhatia)
