Reframe

Reframe is a case competition built around one question: what if a brand you know did something nobody expects? Each team gets a “what if” brief, such as a fast-food brand making furniture. Designers and marketing strategists work as one team to decide whether the stretch can work, build the strategy and bring it to life with a product concept, a campaign and key visuals. It rewards sharp insight, honest judgement, strong design and the skill to pitch all three as one idea. Win the Bangalore City Championship and earn your Golden Ticket to the Milky Way Finals.

Team size

3 to 4 members

Format

Online written case + live case and pitch

Deadline

15 Nov 2026, 11:59 PM

Eligibility

Open to students from any UG college or university. Teams may be cross-college.

Prizes

1st place: ₹10,000 and direct entry to the Milky Way Finale 2nd place: ₹5,000

Rules

One idea: strategy and design must read as one. Every deck makes a clear go or no-go call. Stay within budget.

Results

Results are announced by email to all participants.

Submission

Register here, then send a Google Drive link from the competition page by the deadline.

1. Online Round (Written Case) · Online · by 15 Nov 2026A strategy deck, a creative board and a video pitch, all in one Google Drive folder.
   • The case brief is released to registered teams. Teams have until the registration deadline to submit.
   • Deliverables: one strategy deck (PDF, up to 12 slides); one creative board (single-page PDF or image) that shows the product or experience concept, the campaign idea and key visuals; and one video pitch (Google Drive link, up to 3 minutes). The deck must include a go or no-go slide: should the brand do this, and what is the biggest risk?
   • Anonymity: do not put college names or any identifying information inside the files. Files with identifying information lose marks.
   • Language of submission: English or Hindi.
   • Put all three files in one Google Drive folder with access set to “Anyone with the link can view”. Name the folder REFRAME_Participant_Name_MWRTMB.
   • Submit the link on this website, through the competition page, by the deadline.
   • If the link cannot be opened at the time of judging, the OC decides whether the submission is considered.
   • Results are sent by email.
2. Offline Round (Live Case and Pitch) · On-site · on 19 Nov 2026A new brief with a twist, a 5-hour sprint and a 7-minute pitch.
   • Live case sprint: a new brief with a twist (for example, the budget is halved, the launch date moves up, or a rival moves first) is handed out at the start of the round. Teams get 5 hours to respond.
   • Team ID: each team gets a Team ID at the start of the event. It is used for identification during the sprint.
   • Deck: one deck of up to 8 slides, including one slide of key visuals, submitted as a PDF before the sprint ends. It covers: brand and market understanding (brand overview, market trends, competitors and market gaps); consumer insights (target audience, behaviour, needs, pain points and key insights); the go or no-go decision (entry recommendation, opportunities, risks and justification); strategy and positioning (value proposition, USP, differentiation and brand fit); creative concept and execution (big idea, product or service design, branding, key visuals and campaign creatives); marketing and launch plan (channel strategy, promotional activities and timeline); and budget and metrics (budget allocation, feasibility, KPIs and measurable targets).
   • Advertisement: one static advertisement with the new brand identity, submitted as a PDF.
   • Reel: one reel or short-form video of at most 45 seconds, submitted as a video on Google Drive.
   • Submission: the OC shares a Google Form with every team at the start of the event. Each team must submit everything before the sprint ends. Upload every deliverable to a Google Drive folder and submit the link on the form, with “Anyone with the link can view” access.
   • Pitch: each team presents for 7 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of Q&A with the judges.
   • After the deadline: do not change the submitted file after the deadline. Any change is dealt with at the OC’s discretion.
   • Declarations: declare on the Google Form all data sources, third-party images, fonts and assets used, any AI tools used, and a statement that the work is your team’s own.
   • Surprise: be prepared for more surprises along the way.

Team size

3 to 4 members.

Eligibility

Open to students from any UG college or university. Teams may be cross-college.

Case brands

Teams get a hypothetical stretch brief about a well-known brand. The brands have no involvement in the competition. The brief is confidential and must not be shared outside the team.

Mentors and faculty

Advisors may give feedback but must not direct the team’s recommendations.

The case brief

Every brief has the same parts: company background (who the brand is, what it sells and where it stands today); the stretch (the “what if” and the tension that makes it hard); target audience (who the brand wants to reach, with any data available); constraints (budget, timeline, channels and brand guidelines that cannot change); and a data pack (a short set of facts and numbers). Teams may add their own research if they declare the sources.

One idea

Strategy and design must read as one connected idea. A creative that does not follow the strategy is marked down. Every deck must make a clear go or no-go call. A team may recommend against the idea if it offers a better alternative.

Length

Decks must stay within the slide limits. Extra slides are not read.

Pitch time

If a pitch runs over the time limit, the consequences in the General Rules apply.

Original work

All strategy and creative work must be the team’s own. Copying existing campaigns or other teams’ work leads to disqualification.

Data

Use the data pack in the brief. Outside data and research are allowed if the source is cited in the deck.

Assets

Fonts, images, icons, templates and mockups are allowed if legally usable and declared. You may use public brand assets (logos, product photos) to show the concept. Do not imply that the brand endorses it.

AI

You may use AI tools for research, ideation, copy support and mockups if you declare them. The team must design the final key visuals and layouts. AI-generated imagery may only be a declared placeholder or a small element, not the final key visual.

Budget

Proposals must stay within the budget in the brief. Over-budget plans lose marks.

Confidentiality

Do not post the brief, your work or any part of the case material online.

Team changes

You cannot change team members after the Online Round closes. A member may be replaced only with prior written approval from the OC.

Conduct

Teams must follow the Code of Conduct and the venue rules. Any harassment, sabotage or interference with another team leads to immediate disqualification, and the team bears any legal consequences itself.

Penalties

• All other violations are dealt with under the General Rules (Penalties and disqualification), at the discretion of the OC.
• The OC tells participants about any change to these rules before the event.

This Rulebook governs all competitions held at Road to Milky Way: Bangalore on 19 November 2026. “OC” means the Milky Way Organising Committee. Each competition’s rules supplement these General Rules. Where the two conflict, the competition’s rules prevail. By registering, every participant accepts this Rulebook.